When searching for a person in the UK, you will often start with a full name and use that to discover the person’s contact details (such as phone number, email or address).
It used to be simple when I was growing up! We would pull out the thick phone book, use the first letter of the person’s surname to find the right section, then run our finger over long lists of names until we found their surname.
And, if it was a popular surname, you then had to further search through hundreds of first name initials to attempt find the person you are looking for.
It was simple, but also a bit slow.
These days, with everything online and people more willing to share their names publically, there are a multitude of services where you can go looking for a person.
Why Do We Search for People?
There are many reasons you may want to locate or look up the details of a person. Some of these include:
- Finding somebody who’s contact details changed
- Finding a family member you’ve lost contact with
- Tracking down an old friend
- Tracking down a former partner/lover
- Searching for your original parents if you’re adopted
- Searching and identifying unknown relatives in your family tree
- Wanting to know if someone is still alive
The easiest way to run a UK people search is online through public and private database websites. There are a multitude of resources in the UK for running a people search so it’s important to know what information you’re after with your search. This may include genealogy records, criminal records, immigration records or even parish records.
Most public records are those records that are first compiled by government agencies. In most cases, the records are initially recorded and stored by a local agency, and then the information moves up towards the UK central government records.
If your person search of private databases is unsuccessful then the next best option is to search the local public records office. Depending on what you already know about the person you are searching for, this may be an easy task. If you know the local area, then go to our UK public records offices map on our home page, and choose an area.
When you locate the contact information of the local public records office, simply follow the directions to enter your query. If you don’t know a local area, then you will want to make a more broad search through UK government websites.
Free Resources for UK
These public resources below are free to use and may help you find the person you’re looking for without spending much time or money.
| Resource | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 192.com | Company | Search People, Business, Places. Over 700 million residential and business records across the United Kingdom. |
| National Archives UK Search | Government | Search for people at that National Archives for free. Over 37 million descriptions of records are searchable (not the complete record) from over 2,000 archives. |
| BT Directory Finder | Company | BT no longer prints phone books but you can still access their business and residential listings by looking up the relevant area (eg. Birmingham North or Salisbury) and opening the PDF of listings. Name, Address and Phone Numbers are shown. |
English People Search
There are a wide variety of publicly accessible records available to anyone seeking to locate a living person in England. The English person search options available to you will also vary, depending on the circumstances of the search.
For instance, an adopted person looking to track down blood relatives may have additional search tools at their disposal as there are several public and private agencies dedicated to reuniting siblings and other family members separated by adoption. Here are some of the tactics you can legally employ when searching for a person in England:
Electoral roll search – The British library keeps a record of the full electoral register for England. Access to records less than ten years old may be restricted. Searching the electoral register will let you find names and addresses of registered voters within a specific constituency.
Online phone directories – Phone directories such as BT, White Pages, and Infobel can be useful in finding a person’s phone number and address. You will need a full name at least. Town or county information may also be useful.
Births, deaths, and marriages – In England, these records are considered public. This means that any person can order a copy of a certificate providing they know the details of the certificate in question. This can be useful in finding the names of a parent or spouse of the person named on the certificate.
Welsh People Search
The public and private search options that would allow you to locate a person in Wales are largely the same as they are in England. In some cases, you may find that newer records can only be accessed under specific circumstances. Fortunately, there are still a wealth of other options available to assist you in your Wales person search. Here are a few of the main avenues to consider:
Electoral roll search – As in England, the names and addresses of the person registered to vote in Wales can be found by searching the electoral roll for a specific constituency. The British Library holds the full electoral register and may be able to grant you access to records. Smaller, local libraries and council offices may also hold useful electorate information.
Online phone directories – You may be able to find the telephone number and address of a person currently living in Wales, by searching the BT online directory. Unfortunately, this will only work if the person in question has opted in to being included in the directory. Furthermore, searching Welsh phone records is usually only viable if you have a full name.
Births, deaths, and marriages – You can order a copy of a birth, death, or marriage certificate by contacting the General Register Office (this is the same for England). These records date back to 1837. This may help you with acquiring names of close family members of the person named on the certificate.
Scottish People Search
Despite being part of the United Kingdom, Scotland uses some record-keeping practices and entities that differ from England and Wales. However, some records (phone number records, for instance) are publically accessible via the same search facilities as England and Wales. Here are some options to help you get started on your Scotland person search:
Scottish post office directories – Searching the Scottish post office directories can help you find a person’s address and occupation, dating back as far as 1773. These records are only available up to 1911, but can be useful in tracking down distant relatives currently living in Scotland.
Electoral roll search – You may be able to find a person’s address by searching the Scottish electoral roll. Some records are held at the National Archives of Scotland and smaller, local libraries. A full electoral register can also be accessed at the British Library, providing the records are more than ten years old.
Scottish Resources
| Resource | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland’s People | Government | This is the official Scotland Government records website which is fully searchable for names and years with records coming from statutory registers (births, deaths etc), prison registers, church registers and employment records. |
| Scottish Post Office Directories | Government | Run by the National Library of Scotland, these postal directories are searchable with names, places and years. They have 700 digitised directories covering most of Scotland, ranging from the years 1773 to 1911. |
Births, deaths, and marriages – Most birth, death, and marriage records are kept by the Registrar General at the New Register House in Edinburgh. Any person can request copies of these certificates, providing they have enough information to locate the certificate in question.
Northern Irish People Search
Northern Irish laws regarding public records differ somewhat to those of Scotland, England, and Wales. Unfortunately, some of the traditional avenues used to track down a person in the rest of the United Kingdom may not be available to you if the person you are hoping to find lives in Northern Ireland. Though, there are a few different search routes you may wish to try. Here is the information you need to conduct a Northern Ireland person search:
Electoral roll search – Unfortunately, it is a criminal offence to disclose Northern Irish electoral roll records to members of the public. These records may be accessed by elected representatives, holders of elected offices, and law enforcement bodies.
Births, deaths, and marriages – As is the case with England, Wales, and Scotland, records of births, deaths, marriages, and adoptions are held by the General Register Office for Northern Ireland. Copies of all these certificates are publicly available and can be ordered online. You will have more success finding the information you need, if you know the name of the person on the certificate and an approximate date for the event in question.
Online phone directories – If you know the full name and approximate whereabouts of a person living in Northern Ireland, you may be able to find their current postal address by conducting an online search. BT and Whitepages are two of the best search facilities available.
Frequently Asked Questions About Finding People in the UK
Searching for people online generally has the aim of locating any and all information about an individual including address, phone number or email address. There are a large number of online public records available from public (free) databases, newspaper archives and paid services.
You will need to at least know the first and last name of the person you’re looking for, although this not always the case. Their country of residence is also an important piece of data. If you are looking up a much older record then you may also want to know their relatives to verify the correct person.
With free services such as a phone directory listing, you may only find phone number and address of a person, as they have opted to make that information public. For more detailed information, you may need to look at Facebook pages or sign up to a paid Geneaology service where people volunteer more information in the hopes of connecting to lost relatives. For people who are no longer alive, the information is also more readily available due to privacy issues being less of a concern. Date of Birth, Date of Death would be more easily available.
Yes, as long as the information is used as directed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and in compliance with all local, national, and international privacy laws and regulations, including the UK Data Protection Act. Some databases require registration and have strict rules about not publishing the information contained due to misuse of the information. An example of this are sex offender registers.
There are several online public record websites, directories, databases, social networks, genealogy websites, that allow you to search for people in the UK. You can also use the UK National Archives to find ancestry and genealogy information.
The accuracy of the information really depends on the source. Official records, government databases, and reputable online directories tend to be more accurate. However, there are also third party public record and genealogy websites that might have more detailed information.
Yes, on free services, there is no way to track who is conduction the search. However, platforms where you need to register may sometimes show people who have searched for you. An example is LinkedIn Profile Views.
It can be free if the person is easy to find through phone directories or social networks. However, if you’re trying to track down a lost relative, paid geneaology services and private databases will often charge a monthly subscription fee.
Search for People on Social Media
The rise of social media over the past 20 years has made it easier than ever to quickly search for and locate people. Facebook and LinkedIn are popular for this because people mostly use their real names and details and therefore are easier to find. Privacy settings on Facebook can make it more difficult if somebody does not want to be found.
There are also many social media sites worth checking, as people often use their real names on them — such as X, Instagram, YouTube, and Telegram. However, some platforms are mostly anonymous, like Reddit, which can make it very difficult to find specific individuals.
Facebook People Search
Using Facebook to locate people is very common in the UK. Facebook is literally designed to connect with people. Most people who use Facebook have a profile image and use their real name which assists greatly in finding people.
That being said, there are many people in the UK that don’t have an account or keep their account private, so it’s not always the best option with trying to find a person in the United Kingdom.
You will also need to have a Facebook account to search people on this platform.
If you have an account then this is a good starting place as it’s free to find someone, all you need to do is type in a name into their search field and then when you find that person, you can message them. If their account is public then you can verify you’ve found the correct person with information listed in their public profile.
LinkedIn People Search
LinkedIn can also be used to search for people as it is the largest social media site for career connections. Due to it’s professional purposes, people will almost always use their real names and show realy work histories. Their work history may help reveal their current location and if you find the person you are looking for, you can direct message them through the platform if you have your own account.
You should be aware, if you view people’s profiles on LinkedIn while you are logged in, your identity is potentially revealed to them in a section called “Analytics – Profile Views”. There is much less anonyminity on LinkedIn.
If you do find the person you’re looking for it’s a good idea to verify they are indeed the correct person. You can do this by verifying the date of birth, relatives or even their middle name. Many people in the UK have the same first and last name so this is an important step in your UK people search
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