How to Find Out Someone's Birthday: 8 Practical Methods

Forgetting a friend’s birthday is awkward. Asking them directly feels worse. The good news is that most people leave their birthday somewhere public online, and there are several ways to find it without making things weird.

#Does Facebook Still Show Birthdays?

Yes. Facebook is still the easiest place to find someone’s birthday. Go to their profile, tap About, then look under Basic Info or Contact and Basic Info.

If you don’t see a birthday listed, the person may have changed their privacy settings to hide it.

Birthday visibility depends on the other person’s privacy settings, and hidden birthdays may not appear on the profile or in birthday reminders.

There’s a backup route: check Events > Upcoming Birthdays for friends who allow birthday reminders.

If you’re not Facebook friends with the person, this method often won’t work because Facebook birthday visibility is controlled by the person who owns the profile.

#How to Find a Birthday Through Google Search

Search the person’s full name plus “birthday” or “date of birth.”

According to Google’s search operator help, quotation marks search for an exact word or phrase, and site: restricts results to a specific domain. Use both when a common name produces noisy results.

Search works best when the person has an active public web presence.

For public figures, Google’s Knowledge Panel displays the birthday right at the top. Regular people won’t have this, but their birthday might still appear in indexed pages.

#Using Public Record Websites

Sites like ThatsThem, Zabasearch, and Whitepages pull information from public government records, voter registrations, and other databases.

Type the person’s name and location. Results often include age, address, phone number, and sometimes a full date of birth. Accuracy depends on how common the name is and how fresh the underlying records are.

According to the FTC’s guide to people-search sites, these sites compile data from public social profiles, government public records, and other data brokers, and their reports can include age or date of birth. That said, the ethical thing to do is use this information respectfully.

If you’re looking for more general ways to locate someone, our guide on how to find someone free of charge covers additional tools.

#Checking Other Social Media Platforms

Facebook isn’t the only platform where people share birthdays.

Instagram: Some users include their birthday in their bio or share birthday posts annually. Search their profile and scroll through posts from late in the year. Check the comments on their photos too. Friends often leave “Happy Birthday!” comments that give away the date.

Twitter/X: Search their username plus “birthday” or “happy birthday” in Twitter’s search. Birthday wishes from friends are often public.

LinkedIn: Professional profiles sometimes show a birthday, especially in the contact info section. This tends to be less reliable since most people skip this field on LinkedIn.

For finding someone on specific platforms, we’ve covered the techniques in separate guides.

#The Mutual Friend Method

Ask someone who knows them and explain the reason plainly.

This is often the most reliable method. No technology required. Close family members and long-time friends are likely to know the date.

The only downside is that your mutual friend might tip off the birthday person that you’re planning something. If secrecy matters, mention that you’d appreciate them keeping it quiet.

#Can You Find a Birthday Through Conversation?

Steer a casual conversation toward birthdays without making it obvious. Talk about zodiac signs, upcoming holidays, or celebrity birthdays. “When’s your birthday? I want to know your sign” is direct enough to work without raising suspicion.

Another approach: bring up your own birthday in conversation. People often reciprocate by sharing their month or date.

If subtlety isn’t your strong suit, try the social media search by phone number method to find additional profiles where their birthday might be listed.

#Birthday Lookup Databases

Dedicated birthday lookup sites exist, though their reliability varies. According to Birthdatabase.com, its database claims to cover over 120 million people. Type a name and approximate age, and it searches for matching records.

Treat free birthday databases as leads, not proof; see our birthday lookup guide.

#The ID Card Approach

This old-school method still works. Invite your friend to an event that requires ID, like a bar, concert, or movie with age restrictions. When they pull out their driver’s license, their date of birth is printed right on it.

This only works if you’re in a situation where showing ID is natural. Don’t make it weird by asking to see their license for no reason. If you need to find someone’s address alongside their birthday, that guide covers additional public record approaches.

#Bottom Line

Start with Facebook’s Events > Upcoming Birthdays section. If that doesn’t work, try a Google search, public record site, or mutual friend.

#Frequently Asked Questions