Birthdays are special moments that mark one’s birth and years of existence, and no one takes such events for granted, even those who celebrate them low-key. Getting a birthday text or gift from someone (a friend, family member, or even a stranger) can brighten anyone’s day. As such, celebrants by and large hold their inner circle accountable to show up on such memorable days.
There are many instances why you might need someone’s date of birth. If you work in corporate, particularly in HR, you may need to know other employees’ birthdays to plan celebrations, offer perks or benefits, or manage scheduling for them on their special day. Or you just forgot your friend’s or relative’s birthday and need this information immediately.
So, to learn how to find someone’s birthday, buckle up, because we know just how to get such information.
Ask the Person
This is the simplest and most accurate way to know someone’s birthday. However, it might put you in a tough spot if that person is a loved one, say your spouse or sibling, simply because you’ll come across as being forgetful or callous. You definitely don’t want this. Also, it wouldn’t be ideal if you’re aiming for a surprise treat. Otherwise, there’s no harm in walking up to that person and saying, “Hey buddy, when is your birthday coming up? Got something planned out for you.”
Check Social Media Profiles
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter) let users beef up their bio with personal information such as name, address, occupation, and even date of birth. If the person of interest has their profile set to public, you can easily see their next birthday by looking them up. On Facebook, you need to tap the About section and view it under Overview. If it isn’t listed there, scroll down the profile to see birthday posts from friends made on the same day—that’s most likely your target’s birthday.
Sometimes, the head start you need is the person’s zodiac sign, as not all users publicize their birthdays. For instance, if their profile displays the Aries symbol ♈︎ (a ram), their birthday could be anywhere between March 21st and April 19th. It’s now a matter of what date, which other means in this guide can help you determine.
Talk to Mutual Friends and Family Members
So, you’re that guy who knows his best friend’s birthday is this month but has no idea when exactly and wants to save face? Why not reach out to his mom, younger brother, or another mutual childhood friend for answers? After all, they know you, right? Maybe you’ll get a sheepish green or half-smile of amusement, or worse, a reprimand, which is way better than all the apologies in the world you’d say if you miss the date.
If the person in question isn’t tight-knit with you, approach their family members and close pals cautiously with this request. The right thing to do here is to politely introduce yourself to them and state why you’re inquiring about their loved one’s date of birth. Then, they’ll be willing to tell you when it is.
Use People Search Services
Scuttling between Google, Facebook, and phone calls in search of someone’s birthday might seem too much when you can sift through these sources on one platform—a people search site. That’s right, this type of service browses and finds content from all nooks and crannies of the internet relevant to your inquiry and stores it in its database.
This saves you time and effort while guaranteeing that the result is near accurate (or entirely), provided the service is legitimate. Depending on the scope of your search, you may get your answers without spending a dime or only after making a payment equivalent to the price of a full English breakfast. And that’s from typing the person’s first and last name or similarly unique identifier in the site’s search bar.
Explore Public Records
Say you don’t want to cough up a few bucks for an online lookup tool. In this case, you can bank on public records to uncover someone’s birthday, as they often document key details tied to personal and legal identification. Among these records, birth certificates stand out as the most definitive source of birth dates, but access to them is usually restricted to the individual, close family, or authorized entities in most states (California being one), and only made accessible to everyone after a certain period.
However, other documents like property records, voter registration rolls, marriage licenses, or court papers stored on certain state-maintained databases are readily available at your request. Some of them may include birth dates or offer indirect clues, such as the year of birth or age (depending on the state’s disclosure laws), which can come in handy during your search. Keep in mind, however, that not all states offer the same level of transparency.
Supposing your state doesn’t provide online accessibility to such records, you can always access them at the nearest courthouse or government office with minimal effort. Although this might cost you a small fee.
Conclusion
Forgetting a friend’s birthday can be embarrassing, but should you beat yourself up for that? Of course not. Everyone is guilty of this at some point; However, your focus should be on not repeating the same mistake, as that would be deemed a deliberate act, no matter your excuse.
In this article, we’ve proffered ideal ways that can help you stay in the loop and make that friend or lover’s special day even more thoughtful and vibrant. So, why not implement our tips? And don’t forget to bake them a lip-smacking birthday cake!
