How to Find Out Someone’s Birthday: 9 Methods

It’s natural to get curious about someone’s birthday for personal reasons. Some of us are also genuinely forgetful people who are married or in a relationship and constantly forget our partner’s birthday with so much to keep up. You may also want to find someone’s DOB for a background check, astrology readings, or a legal investigation but are confused about how to acquire it. Well, then, you have come to the right place.

I shall take you through some of the best methods that I have tried first-hand. This article consists of 9 methods; therefore, you have plenty of options to choose from. Whether you want methods without spending a penny or do not mind paying a small fee, I have found it all. However, while trying out any of these methods, always make sure that your intent is pure and that you do not plan on doing anything unethical with this information.

Methods to Find Out Someone’s Birthday

Let me now discuss some of the best methods for finding someone’s birthday.

Method 1: Using Third-Party Sites

Here are some of the top third-party sites that I tested myself and shortlisted after trying over 20 sites for 90+ hours. If you are curious about someone or would like to verify the birthday of an individual you met online, you can use this method.

However, you must be careful using these tools since there’s a chance of misinformation due to incorrect or outdated data. Hence, I suggest cross-checking the report with other reliable sources such as public records or social profiles. If you must, use multiple sites to verify and see the consistency of the result, for example, Spokeo + Social Catfish + Intelius.

1) Spokeo – Using Name Search

Spokeo is a people search site that offers complete details about a person, including their birthday. Apart from name search, its phone number, username, and email address lookup are also useful. Its database contains billions of information gathered from consumer records, property records, business records, historical records, court documents, and social networks.

I used Spokeo to look up my new flatmate’s DOB since I wanted to plan a surprise birthday party for him. It provided me with complete details such as his birth year, date, age, etc. Spokeo allows a fully anonymous lookup, so he was never notified about my search.

Here’s how I used Spokeo’s name search to lookup an individual’s birthday:

Step 1) Go to https://www.spokeo.com/, enter the name of the person whose birthday you want to find, and tap on Search Now.

Step 2) If prompted, Enter more details, such as their city and state, and allow the search process to begin. Hit Continue when asked to continue the search process.

Step 3) Once the search is complete, enter your name and email ID to unlock the full result.

Visit Spokeo >>

7-Day Trial at $0.95

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2) Intelius – Phone Number

Intelius is another powerful people lookup tool that can help gather complete details of a person, including their birth date. Although it may sound inconvenient since it works only in the US, it turned out to be in my favor. That’s because I was looking for a person using their phone number in the US, and I didn’t need to tweak the tool much to identify the right target.

I found numerous records along with their birthday. It showed me their address, occupation, social media criminal records, education history, traffic record, and much more. As per my analysis, it is reliable, but you may find some incomplete reports at times. Intelius is also great for recruiters, however, I suggest you getting candidate’s consent before doing any form of background check.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use Intelius for reverse phone number lookup:

Step 1) Go to https://www.intelius.com/ and select the reverse phone number lookup option. Then, enter their phone number in the search bar and hit Search Now.

Step 2) Next, submit your age since you must be above 18 years old to use it. Allow the tool to complete its search.

Step 3) Once the search is complete, click on View Results and enter your first and last name along with the email. Then tap on Continue to get the full report.

Visit Intelius >>

5-Day Trial for $0.95

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3) Social Catfish – Email lookup

Social Catfish is a reverse lookup tool mainly designed to catch scammers and catfishers. You can use any of its search parameters to find a person’s birth date, but I will demonstrate with an email ID for variation purposes.

Its database contains 200 billion records that it scans within seconds. Social Catfish allows completely anonymous lookups and protects your identity. For data privacy, I could also use its Opt-Out Requests and Do Not Sell My Information options.

Let me now give a step-by-step demo of how to lookup someone’s birthday using Social Catfish:

Step 1) Visit https://socialcatfish.com/, go to the email, and enter the individual’s email address.

Step 2) Allow the tool to search through its database.

Step 3) Now enter your email ID and number to get the report.

Visit Social Catfish

3-Day Trial at $5.73

Method 2: Using Social Media

Social media offers a lot of user details that a person puts out willingly. This method should be a child’s play for constant social media users. For example, they may post their birthday pictures and videos in real time for their friends and followers to see. This allows you to gather some solid information. Additionally, you may also find some of their details in their bio.

However, users who like to keep a low profile may enable privacy settings, hardly share any updates, or lie about their birthday on these social platforms. Therefore, you can try checking their profiles on different social media sites to get a clue or find some openly available personal data, for example, on LinkedIn. You can also look for information in comments, old posts, stories, captions, etc.

1) Facebook

Facebook is one of those social media apps that offers an easy way to find someone’s birthday. I could simply visit their profile and find it, or the event section in your profile can also be helpful. There is also a reminder available on Facebook that lets you know when it is the birthday of someone on your friend list. This method is great for people who often forget their spouse’s birthday.

The steps may differ between mobile app and website users. Hence, I have provided them with the procedure separately.

Mobile App Users

Step 1) Open your Facebook app, tap on the Search button, and type Birthdays.

Step 2) Now select the option Birthdays- see upcoming birthdays and tap on the arrow to view any friend’s upcoming birthday.

Desktop Users

Step 1) Visit Facebook.com, login, and go to your timeline. Then, navigate to Events on the left sidebar.

Step 2) Once you click on the events, you will be able to see if there are any upcoming birthdays, as shown below.

Find Someone’s Birthday with a Facebook Personal Profile:

You can use this method on any platform, be it your smartphone or your desktop.

Step 1) Go to your account and find that specific friend whose birthday you want to know.

Step 2) Navigate to their About section and find their birthday date and year.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/

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2) Snapchat

Snapchat shows all the birthdays that are occurring in the present day. Therefore, that is an easy way to instantly know when it is someone’s birthday on Snapchat. However, if you would like to know ahead of time, here’s how I do it:

Step 1) Go to the chat screen for the person whose birthday you want to find.

Step 2) Click on the user’s name or Bitmoji that shows on the top of the screen.

Step 3) Once you tap on it, you will be able to access their details, such as their birthday and sun sign.

Please note that some users may keep their birthdays private using Snapchat settings. In such cases, you can use a reverse username search, check your Snapchat every day, or chat with your friend directly to ask about their birthday.

Link: https://www.snapchat.com/

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3) LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great source of information if you want to find someone’s real birth date. However, I must inform you that this method works only on public profiles. If you are unable to find their birthday, you can still use a reverse name or username lookup, connect with them, or look for clues in the comments, posts, etc.

Here’s how I found someone’s birthday on LinkedIn:

Step 1) Open LinkedIn on your mobile/desktop and enter the person’s full name in the search bar

Step 2) Now check for their contact information and click on it; this will lead you to their birthday details.

Link: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Other social media apps like Instagram and WhatsApp may also help find someone’s birthday. There could be clues in their IG posts, tagged photos, or stories. In WhatsApp, you may see their birthday updates in their statuses.

If it’s your friend and you have forgotten their birthday, go to Instagram and check archived stories. You indeed must have posted a story about their previous birthdays, which can help you find their birthdate.

Method 3: Using Google

Google offers a wealth of information, so why not try finding someone’s birthday on this search engine? It is particularly easy if the person is a public figure or even remotely famous.

Some of the challenges that I faced while using Google were familiar names, which gave me inaccurate or irrelevant results. Hence, using its advanced search feature is a better option. For example, you can type “Luke Stevens” birthday and add specific words such as their location- “Duxbury”, profession- “Ice Hockey Player”, etc., to narrow down the search.

I would also suggest you cross-check the information using Wikipedia, news articles, social media profiles, etc. Some people update their birthdates, which may not have been registered on Google yet. Therefore, to avoid outdated data, you can check other reliable sites. If the individual you are looking for is not a fan of being online, it may be even more challenging to dig up their birthday. In such cases, you can check other feasible methods in this article.

The easiest birthday lookups that I performed on Google were on celebrities.

Step 1) Type the name of the celebrity on the search bar whose birthday you want to find, for example, “Ariana Grande”.

Step 2) Hit Enter or the Magnifying glass and get the result instantly. If there are similar names and numerous results, try adding specific information such as their occupation, ethnicity, etc.

Link: https://www.google.com/

Method 4: Decipher Usernames

You might have come across numerous usernames with numbers on them. Therefore, who knows the person whose birthday you are looking for has openly displayed it on their username. For example, my colleague’s usernames, such as Brunostanely@1999 and AshleyDelle_84_tinafray02@gmail.com, use numbers. Therefore, I assumed that Bruno was born in 1999, Ashley was born in 1984, and Tina’s birthdate could be on the 2^nd of one of the months.

When I confirmed it with them, turns out Bruno was born in 1999, September 19th, quite clever and clear. You can also analyze by looking at the consistency of these numbers across other platforms. Let’s say Bruno looked around 40 then it would be impossible for him to be 1999 born, thus, keeping these in mind you can make other assumptions. For example, if he did look older it could be his graduation year.

Therefore, it may not always be their birthdate for example, Ashley uses 84 as it’s her lucky number and 02 is just something that Tina used on her username for no solid reason. Hence, this guessing game may be challenging, so when in doubt, I check other posts and updates on their social media for better accuracy.

Method 5: Check Public Records

If you work in a legal field or an insurance company, this method could be helpful. Online directories and public records contain people’s details, including their birthdays, which genealogical researchers may also find valuable. I have tried out public records like NY Courts.Gov. and the National Archives of America.

Navigating through all these historical records is not a cakewalk since it took me almost two days to complete the search. Some public records may also not be accessible, so start with resources like marriage records and voter licenses, which are easier to acquire. Some public record agencies may charge a fee, so make sure to compare different records for accuracy.

If you are not sure about this method, it’s best to try other ways given in my article. You must also be extremely careful using this method since any unauthorized access can lead to privacy violations and legal consequences. As a public, you have the right to request the records as per the Freedom of Information Act. However, you cannot take a public record without permission as per 18 U.S.C § 641. Additionally, unauthorized disclosure of classified information can result in up to 10 years of imprisonment in the US.

Method 6: Bring It Up in Conversations

Bringing it up in conversations is a great way to find out about someone’s birthday. This method doesn’t come off as intrusive or invasive and can provide the answer naturally.

Here are some helpful tips that can help an individual open up about their birthday:

• Mention how you celebrated your birthday, and then ask them what they did on their birthday.
• Talk about a recent birthday party you attended and that you would like to invite them if you plan something on your birthday.
• Talk about astrology and zodiac signs, which can lead you to a direct answer or a clue. This can also help you look up their sun sign if you are looking to get some readings.
• Discuss birthday gifts and what they received last time, along with what they like.
• Make jokes about how much you forget birthdays and have a playful conversation.
• Mention a free service or discount that you received from a particular salon, retail shop, etc., on your birthday. This may make them curious, and they may reveal their birthday.

💡 Note that you must not try to be nosy and look for natural reasons only. Avoid awkward or forced conversations, and do not repeatedly bother them and make them uncomfortable.

Method 7: Ask Mutual Connections

Mutual connections can be one of your best chances, especially if you are interested in someone or if you forget your close friend’s birthday. The problem with this method is that you must make sure that you are in a comfortable zone with this mutual connection because you do not want to come off as creepy.

The best way to do this is to frame the question politely. You must also ask them to be discreet and make them trust you unless you are close to them already. If you are only a social media follower, then maybe try making them your friends by liking their posts often or commenting politely. You can also befriend your target’s relatives, but try not to pressure them because some may want to protect their friend’s privacy. Additionally, I suggest double-checking their answer for safety with another source.

Method 8: Using Peer-To-Peer Mobile Payment Apps

We are all familiar with Peer-to-Peer mobile payments such as Venmo, PayPal, and CashApp. You will be surprised to know that they can give you birthday details indirectly. However, you will only see your contact list and Facebook friend list’s birthdays.

It did not help me find each contact’s birthday since some users hide details from the public. In such cases, try more than one peer-to-peer app or go to their social media accounts, such as Facebook, and try to uncover it. I’d recommend you use this method only for extreme cases because payment apps deal with sensitive data.

Here’s how I used them to find out someone’s birthday:

1) Venmo Social Feed Analysis:

• Venmo offers a social feed where you can see the payment notes publicly. In these notes, I saw people wish their friends with texts or birthday-related emojis. This helped me find out when that particular person’s birthday was.

Link: https://venmo.com/

2) PayPal Transaction Notes:

• PayPal users may also leave messages for their friends in transaction notes. Try checking your transaction history with this person, for example, “Birthday Treat Ducthing” or “Birthday Brunch”.

Link: https://www.paypal.com/us/home

3) Cash App Requests and Emojis:

• On the Cash App, you may have noticed payment requests or send money for birthday celebrations. Search for such payment requests and birthday-related tags or emojis and hashtags to find someone’s birthday.

Link: https://cash.app/

Method 9: Ask Them Directly

Now that I have introduced you to all the methods that don’t involve asking the person directly, you must try it as well. If all of the above methods sound confusing to you, then this is your last hope. Trust me, it is not as difficult as it seems in your head, but I would definitely try to get on a more comfortable level with them before throwing around this question.

Once you are in an easy zone where you can share birthday dates, you can frame the question like, “Hey, may I know when your birthday is? Or would you mind telling me when your birthday is? I hope I am not making you uncomfortable”.

Avoid framing the question or reply like:

• Hey, how old are you?
• What are you planning for your birthday? I want a treat as well.
• You must be having a gala party for your birthday.
• Really! You do not look your age (unless maybe you find them younger looking)
• Another year older, huh? What’s there to celebrate when you are getting older?

Legal Consequences of Finding Someone’s Birthday with Intrusive Methods

Many jurisdictions consider accessing or attempting to gather someone’s information without their knowledge as a violation of privacy laws. These laws include the data that you obtain from social media accounts using email, private payment transaction apps, e-commerce user accounts, etc. Extracting someone’s birth date without authorization from such platforms can lead to fines or even civil lawsuits. In cases where an individual uses it for malicious motives, criminal charges may be applied. Repeated attempts may come under harassment or stalking laws.

GDPR in Europe and CCPA in California protect personal data, including birth dates. Payment apps such as PayPal, Venmo, etc., have strict policies that forbid you from collecting someone’s data without authorization. Going against their policies can lead to account suspension or ban and legal action by the service provider and the parties who have been harmed.

When Does Birthday Lookup Become Invasive?

You must know when to stop and what to avoid when you look up someone’s birthday so as not to come off as invasive. Here are some of the key points that I have listed down to keep you informed:

• Unethical Methods: Accessing private records and personal documents without permission and mining data using tools without authorization are also unacceptable.
• Repeated Inquiries: Do not push the person for an answer repeatedly when they have shown signs of unwillingness to answer your questions.
• Asking Mutuals Excessively: It is okay to ask mutuals and friends and family, however, if they are uncomfortable sharing someone else’s information repeatedly bothering can feel invasive.
• Teasing Them: If you happen to find their birthday when they have avoided mentioning it, you must not tease them or boast that you managed to get the date. It can come off creepy and even ruin whatever relationship dynamics you have with them.

Tips to Keep Someone’s Birthday in Mind

If you cannot keep up with birthdays just like me because it’s impossible to remember everyone’s special day, I have some tips that I follow:

• I add the date to my digital calendar, such as Apple Calendar or Google Calendar.
• You can set an alert a few days or a day before the birthday, along with one on the birthday. This will allow you to prepare something for them or keep you alert ahead.
• Social media reminders such as Facebook and LinkedIn notifications can also help you.
• You can also associate it with an important event and make a mental note. For example, my friend’s birthday is on July 5^th, so I know that it comes right after the 4^th of July.
• Linking it with something they like or their personality can also help. For example, my cousin loves Spider-Man, and Peter Parker was born on August 10th, 2001, while my cousin’s birthday is on August 1st.

How to Apologize for Missing a Birthday

As I mentioned earlier, I am not great at keeping up with birthdays. Hence, even with alerts, I wish my friends and family almost a day or even a week later. I am sure it happens with a lot of people; hence, here are some of the tips that will help you make up for it:

• Send a heartfelt, sincere apology text or call them up and express how genuinely you regret not wishing them on time. Also, do not bring up too many excuses.
• A small token of love with a belated birthday gift is also a good gesture, especially if it is something that they will enjoy or love.
• Send a funny meme or GIF, but make sure you are comfortable. This can help lighten up the mood. For example, I sent a crying and begging GIF on IG to my friend, whom I wished for after 5 days.
• Tell them that you promise to make their birthday memorable next year and that you will not forget it.
• Plan a surprise for them, such as a brunch, dinner, lunch, picnic, or any fun activity with you that they will like.

Conclusion

Finding someone’s birthday can be tricky; however, using practical methods like the ones mentioned above can be helpful. I found that reverse lookup tools, Facebook, public records, and asking mutuals or the target individual directly provide the best results. However, it differs from situation to situation. Now that you know all the tricks, you must remember that respecting someone’s privacy while looking up to their birthday is also crucial.