Daily AncestorNatural child
A natural child in older records usually means a child born to unmarried parents; natural son or daughter can also just mean biological child.
Natural child was the polite term for a child born to parents who were not married to each other. A father who names my natural son in a will is usually acknowledging a child born outside marriage.
Natural son can also simply mean biological son as opposed to adopted, so read the whole context. Natural in this sense does not mean the child was neglected or disowned.
As seen in a recordWill recorded in a county will book, 1800s
I give to Thomas Gray, my natural son by Eliza Moore, one hundred dollars.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Natural child." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/relationships/natural-child. Last checked 2026-10-01.