West Virginia Research Tips and Strategies

West Virginia Wiki Topics
Beginning Research
Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder
Record Types
Bible Records Cemeteries Census Church Records Court Records Directories Emigration & Immigration Genealogies Land & Property	Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Online Records Periodicals Probate Records Taxation Vital Records
West Virginia Background
Biography Gazetteers History	Maps Migration For Further Reading
Ethnicity
African Americans American Indians	Swedish Americans
Local Research Resources
Archives and Libraries Societies Family History Centers

United States

West Virginia

Research Tips and Strategies

West Virginia Research Strategies

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in West Virginia

• West Virginia Online Genealogy Records
• How to find West Virginia Birth Records
• How to find West Virginia Marriage Records
• How to find West Virginia Death Records

West Virginia Research Tips

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in West Virginia.

• Birth information: Statewide registration of births began in 1917 in West Virginia and was generally complied with by 1925. A helpful substitute record to find birth information is a death record. However, date and place of birth on a death record is considered secondary information, as it was not recorded at the time of the birth event. The birth information should be corroborated with other substitute records to improve accuracy.
• Finding Parents: Statewide registration of deaths began in 1917 in West Virginia and was generally complied with by 1925.  They often will list the parents of the deceased and their birth information. Search West Virginia death records
• Look in all censuses: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census. There are clues regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records. Sometimes parents can be found living with their children later in life. Search U.S. Censuses.

West Virginia Record Finder

This Record Finder is designed to help you determine the best record to search for the type of information you are looking for. It is most helpful for post-1850 research.

1. What you are looking for:	2. Try these records first:	3. Other useful records
Birth information	Birth records, Death records, Obituaries, Church records	Cemeteries, Naturalization and Citizenship, Bible records, Military records (pension)
Marriage information	Marriage records, Obituaries, Bible records	Church records, Probate records, Military records
Death information	Death Records, Cemeteries, Obituaries	Probate Records, Church Records, Bible Records
Parents	Birth records, Death records, Obituaries, Census, Church records	Biography, Genealogy
Maiden name	Marriage Records, Obituaries, Probate records	Church Records, Military Records (pension)
Immigration date	Emigration and Immigration, Naturalization and Citizenship, Census	Obituaries, Biography, History
Naturalization	Naturalization and Citizenship, Census, Court Records	Voting Registers, Biography, Periodicals
Physical description	Military Records, Naturalization and Citizenship (after 1906)	Biography, History

Further West Virginia Research

For more research on West Virginia, including research at the county level, visit the West Virginia page on the Research Wiki.

Search all of the West Virginia record collections at FamilySearch.