The birth of Heather Howe

WHAT THIS DOCUMENT IS

The California Birth Index is the state's public catalogue of births registered in California between 1905 and 1995. Each entry records that a birth was registered: the name given, the date, the county of registration, and the parents' surnames. It is a finding aid, not the certificate itself.

HOW THE SIBLINGS WERE MATCHED

The index does not group records into families. The names on the previous page were assembled by searching the index for other births that share both the same father's surname and the same mother's maiden name, within a nearby range of birth years. That is a strong signal, but it is only a signal.

WHAT IT DOES NOT CONTAIN

No time of birth. No street address. No city — the county of registration is the finest geography the index carries. The absence of a record is not evidence that a birth did not happen.

GETTING A CERTIFIED COPY

A certified copy of a California birth certificate — the legal document, accepted for a passport, a driver's license, or a benefits claim — is issued only by the California Department of Public Health, Vital Records.