What does birthdate mean?
A birthdate is the precise calendar date — day, month, and year — on which a person was born. It is a staple of modern record-keeping, appearing on passports, driving licences, medical charts, school enrolment forms, and countless online accounts, where it serves as a basic piece of identifying information. Although closely related to "birthday", the two words are not interchangeable in practice: a birthday is the yearly anniversary of one's birth, while a birthdate always includes the year and anchors an individual to a specific point in time. The word carries a neutral, practical tone and sits comfortably alongside its longer synonym, "date of birth", though it tends to sound slightly less formal. Its usefulness lies in precision: age eligibility, legal majority, and historical documentation all depend on knowing not just when someone celebrates, but exactly when they arrived.
nounThe date on which a person was born, typically expressed as a day, month, and year. It is often used interchangeably with 'date of birth', especially in official or administrative contexts.
- The exact calendar date, including the year, on which a person was born; commonly requested in identification documents, applications, and records.
"The application form asks for your full name, address, and birthdate."
"Please provide your birthdate so we can verify your identity."
"The genealogist traced the family tree back using parish records listing each ancestor's birthdate."
The plural is used mainly when referring to the birthdates of multiple people, such as in records or databases.
"The spreadsheet lists all employees' names and birthdates."
'Birthday' has been around for centuries, but 'birthdate' is a comparatively young word — a compact administrative coinage born of forms, records, and databases that needed the year included.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of birthdate
The word "birthdate" is a straightforward English compound formed from "birth" (from Old Norse *byrð* / Old English *gebyrd*, meaning the act of being born) and "date" (from Latin *datum*, "something given", via medieval Latin and French). Unlike "birthday", which is centuries old, "birthdate" arose relatively recently as an administrative term, gaining ground in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as civil registration, passports, and bureaucratic forms made the full date of birth — year included — a routine requirement.
How birthdate is actually used
"Birthdate" is neutral to slightly formal and appears most often in administrative, legal, and database contexts. "Date of birth" is more common in very formal writing such as contracts and official forms, while "birthday" refers to the annual celebration rather than the full date including year. The word is standard in both British and American English.
Easily confused with birthdate
A birthday is the anniversary of one's birth celebrated each year, whereas a birthdate is the specific calendar date (including the year) on which a person was born.