When asked where you were born...

[Colophon]

...do you say the town where you actually physically entered the world (in the hospital, for most people) or the town where your family home was when you were born. Assuming they're different, of course.

I appreciate that they usually won't be far apart, but I'm interested to know whether people consider a town to be their "birthplace" just because the hospital happens to be there, even if they have never lived there.

For example, I was brought up and lived for the first 17 years of my life in the same house in Hampshire, and certainly consider myself "Hampshire born and bred", but I was actually born in Berkshire.

[SomeUserName]

The hospital were I was born is in the city I was born so I guess I say both.

Born in Bedford at Bedford Hospital.

If that was not the case I think I would answer it with the city where my parents were living at the time of my birth.

[ScareyFaerie]

I was born at home, in the house where we lived until I was sixteen so there's no need to distinguish between where I was born and where I was raised.

[One And Only Wanderers]

If asked where I was born i would say Pontefract, which was the location of the hospital. If asked where I was brought up however, I would say Featherstone. If asked where I was from, it would be Featherstone again.

[Jonathan Chance]

Yeah, simple enough for me: Chicago, both born and home for many years.

But I have a pal who was born while his father was on assignment in Yokohama with family. While he was raised and his families home was in Maryland he says he was born on a base in Japan.

[Nava]

In my case it was the same.

My brothers were born in my father's ancestral hometown, although we lived someplace else by then. By character, Middlebro "belongs" more in the new place, Littlebro fits right fine in the old one. And when asked, Middlebro identifies himself as being from the new place, Littlebro and myself by the province where both sit. If someone wants more explanations, we warn them they're in for a long one...

Spanish laws were changed a few years back to allow births to be registered wherever the family wants to: ancestral home, current home or actual birthplace. This is because there were entire provinces where people were being born only in the capital... there were even a couple where pretty much nobody was being born (hey, if you have to choose between the tiny dinky hospital in the capital which doesn't have incubators, or spending a few days with your sister in Madrid and having the kid in the country's biggest maternity hospital, which would you do?)

[garius]

I was born in Hitchin Hospital, Hertfordshire (as that was where the maternity ward was at the time) but my parents lived (and still live) in Stevenage. Indeed if i'd been born a year or so later i'd have been born in Stevenage as by that point Lister Hospital had taken over maternity patients.

So basically my answer would be contextual - if they wanted to know which hospital i was born in, i would say:

"Hitchin"

If the context implied that they wanted to know where i spent my formative years and not just my first 24 hours on this earth, i would say:

"I'm a Stevenage kid, born and bred."



Then i'd nick their wallet and shoes.



Hellooooo... Stevenage kid...

[Anaamika]

If I'm asked where I'm born, I'll say India.

If asked where I'm from...well, that's a harder question, and sometimes you can guess from the tone if they mean ethnicity or not. But if not, I'll say "I grew up in Michigan".

[SkeptiJess]

I was born in San Diego, and lived there until I was 13. So it's easy for me.

My husband was born in Texas, where his father was stationed during his 2-year stint in the Army. They moved to Wisconsin (where his folks were from) and Kevin lived there until he joined the Navy at 17. When people ask where he was born, he says "Fort Hood." If they ask where he is from, he says "Wisconsin."

My son was born in Ukiah, California, where I was staying with my family while my husband was overseas. We moved to Virginia when Nick was 3 months old and lived there until he was 5. Then we were stationed in San Diego for 8 years; then back to Virginia (where we currently reside). So Nick was born in California and spent 8 years of his childhood there, and 10 years of his childhood in Virginia. He's been in North Carolina (Camp LeJeune) for the last couple of years. He considers himself a native Virginian, though, and is somewhat sensitive about those years in California. When someone asks where he was born, he says, "California. But we moved to Virginia right away and I consider myself a native Virginian."

He has the Virginia State Seal tatooed on his arm, BTW.

[tdn]

If asked where I'm from...well, that's a harder question, and sometimes you can guess from the tone if they mean ethnicity or not. But if not, I'll say "I grew up in Michigan".
Yeah, that's slightly harder. If people ask me where I grew up, I say upstate New York. If they ask me where I was born, I just say Iowa. No one around here really cares about towns in Iowa. But if pressed, I say Cedar Rapids, as that's where the hospital was. One really needs to be intensely interested in me to find out that my first mailing address was in Marion.

Or they have to start a thread in IMHO. ;)

[WhyNot]

The only time I put the focus on the town of the hospital is if someone's asking for astrological reasons, because the few degrees of difference does put some things in a different place. When asked, "Where were you born?" for any other reason, my reply is "Palos Heights is where the hospital I was born in is located, but my folks lived in Tinley Park and I grew up there." If I answer only "Tinley Park," it nags at me because it isn't literally true.

I can intentionally lie with the best of 'em, but speaking an inadvertent lie bugs me. It ain't easy being me.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

My husband does this and I find it odd- when asked where he was born he says the name of the neighboring town where the hospital was. I mean, for the most part, people are asking where he's from- they don't give a hoot that he was born in the next town and came home two days later.

[sandra_nz]

I say I was born in Town A, which is the town I grew up in. Actually, I was born in Town B, then flew to Town A in my first few days of existence.

The reason I was born in Town B was that I was born at a Bethany Hospital for wayward 13 year olds who were giving up their child for adoption.

That's a level of detail I don't normally share with people, hence I say I was born and raised in Town A.

[Eureka]

I almost always just name the state I was born in. (It is NOT the state I presently live in.) I've maybe once or twice actually specified the town I was born in, on a survey where it was explicit that where the hospital was located was the important thing.

[percypercy]

I was born in the same city I grew up in, so the question wouldn't apply to me, but my dad grew up in a small town in Arkansas. When it came time for his mom to have him, and later, my aunt, she and my grandfather drove across the river where the nearest real hospital was. So they grew up in Arkansas, but they were both born in Tennessee, and have Tennessee birth certificates.

[gfloyd]

I was born in the hospital across the street from where my parents lived in Waltham. However, if talking to someone not from Massachusetts, I say Boston, as it's close enough and they've probably (through frighteningly enough not always) heard of it.

[Sunspace]

"Southern Ontario" covers it all for me.

[Bobotheoptimist]

Depends on who's asking. I don't expect people outside Colorado to appreciate the subtle differences between Boulder and Arvada, I doubt most people have heard of Arvada, so to them I say "outside of Denver" which is accurate for "born" as well as "grew up"
To anyone from the area, I say "I was born in Boulder, but fled as soon as they let me out of the hospital"
Where I was born and where I am from are two unrelated places (even if they are separated by a mere 20 miles), and even if my parents were living in Arvada at the time, I was born in Boulder and I have to face that.

[Omega Glory]

If I'm in this area, I would give the name of the town, which is different from the town I grew up in, and clarify that I grew up in Town B. If I'm out of state, I'll just say New York. The only time I can remember someone asking this, they wanted a specific answer. Most people just say "where are you from?"

[Zeldar]

This question has both a simple answer and a more difficult answer for me. I was born in the base hospital at Fort Bragg, NC, which is next door to Fayetteville. Both my parents' families were from Central Alabama and Daddy was stationed at Fort Bragg during the buildup to the USA's involvement in WWII. After my birth and for the next three years we moved from base to base in at least five Southern states and after the war went back to Alabama to live. I went to school through high school in Central Alabama then moved to Tennessee for college and have been here since then.

If pressed beyond Fayetteville for my birthplace I'll say Fort Bragg. But I feel as if I was born in Alabama. The fact that Tennessee was once part of North Carolina doesn't affect the basic notion that I don't feel any connection to NC. In fact, it was 1983 before I visited Fayetteville and Fort Bragg as an adult. The hospital where I was born had been torn down years before and there was nothing about that place nor Fayetteville itself that meant anything to me.

I suspect other "army brats" may have similar stories to tell, especially if their parents were back at "home" after their service time was up.

[Mosier]

A friend of mine who was born on an American military base in Japan says "American military base in Japan" when asked where he was born.

[Lionne]

Where were you born? Worcester
Where are you from? Massachusetts, near Worcester

I was born in Worcester Memorial, but I've never lived in the city.

[Leaffan]

Where were you born? Scotland (Enough detail from this side of the pond.)
Where did you grow up? Sarnia. (Followed-up by South Western Ontario, if I get a strange look.)

[Cat Whisperer]

If asked where I was born, I'll say the city. If asked where I'm from, I'll say Saskatchewan. Most people let it go at that; other Saskatchewanians might want to know where, in which case we'll get into the longer discussion of which cousins and friends we have in common. :D

[Koxinga]

I just say Texas. If they need clarification, I'll kindly admit that it is part off the United States.

[bump]

Usually, if someone asks where I was born, I tell them San Antonio.

If they ask where I'm from, I usually say Houston

And if they ask where I live, I say Dallas(even though I live in a suburb).

(I was born in San Antonio during my dad's second-to-last year in the USAF, and after his enlistment was up(1973), we moved to Houston, where we lived until 1999, at which time I moved to Dallas.)

[chela]

The only time I put the focus on the town of the hospital is if someone's asking for astrological reasons, because the few degrees of difference does put some things in a different place. When asked, "Where were you born?" for any other reason, my reply is "Palos Heights is where the hospital I was born in is located, but my folks lived in Tinley Park and I grew up there." If I answer only "Tinley Park," it nags at me because it isn't literally true.

I can intentionally lie with the best of 'em, but speaking an inadvertent lie bugs me. It ain't easy being me.

I know folks from TP, PH and Palos Park and even Naperville and they all say they are from Chicago! :D

[Frosted Glass]

For me it depends on where I am when someone is asking. If I am not in my home state then I tell the person I was born in New Jersey. Otherwise, I will actually answer that I was born in Newark. Interestingly, virtually no one in the town I grew up in was actually born there. Most people from my town were born at St. Peters in New Brunswick.

[Eleanor of Aquitaine]

I was born in the same city I grew up in, so the question wouldn't apply to me, but my dad grew up in a small town in Arkansas. When it came time for his mom to have him, and later, my aunt, she and my grandfather drove across the river where the nearest real hospital was. So they grew up in Arkansas, but they were both born in Tennessee, and have Tennessee birth certificates.Same situation for me - I grew up in Alabama, but I was born across the river at a hospital in Columbus, Georgia. I usually give Columbus as the place I was born.

[MovieMogul]

I just limit it to the country. I'll only narrow it down to the city if it comes up later in conversation.

[Dewey Finn]

The question reminded me of the episode of King of the Hill where Hank Hill was horrified to find out that he was born in New York City while his parents were on vacation there. (For those not familiar with the show, the character strongly identifies as a Texan.)

Personally, I think it's OK to identify your birthplace as the town where your family lived even if you were born in the hospital in a neighboring city.

[gigi]

Where were you born? "Kingston, NY."

Where are you from? "Originally, New York State, Hudson valley area." I say orginally because I don't go back there and don't identify with being from there except in limited ways (IBM brat).

[Lanzy]

Just the city.

Memphis.

[InLucemEdita]

If asked where I was born I say, "Chicago".
If the person is a Chicagoan, I might say "Michael Reese Hospital", which is in Chicago and they'd likely know that.
When asked where I'm from I nearly always answer "Chicago" even though I haven't lived there in more than a decade, and have moved several times in that period.

[RealityChuck]

The hospital was in a different town, so I would list that as my birthplace (it's where my birth certificate resides). It was a bit galling in high school, since the other town was our big sports rivals.

[Voyager]

I was born in Queens and grew up there, but I usually say New York which works for most of the country. My kids were both born at the Medical Center at Princeton. We actually lived in Princeton when the older one was born, but had moved to a small town for the second, but we usually say Princeton for her because it's cooler to be born in Princeton.

[SpartanDC]

I almost always say "Detroit," as I spent the first 18 years of my life in the city proper (and I do always have to emphasize I was from the city proper. In Michigan, if a white person says they're from Detroit, it's assumed they actually mean one of the suburbs).

The only time I give the precise location of my birth (Grosse Pointe Farms, where the hospital was) is when it's for governmental reasons. I figure they want me to be exact. That said, when I've sometimes blanked on the city name (there are five Grosse Pointes), I've said Detroit and there were no repercussions.

[seosamh]

I smugly say that I was born in the same hospital - St Mary Abbot's, in Kensington - where, not 11 short years later, Jimi Hendrix's body was taken after his fatal overdose.

[GillianBoardman]

I say the name of the town of the hospital, (Bristol) since it's old (for the states, the eurodopers would just laugh) and moderately interesting, whereas the suburb I grew up in, (Fairless Hills) is just boring.

[Big_Norse]

I suspect other "army brats" may have similar stories to tell, especially if their parents were back at "home" after their service time was up.Air Force brat checking in. If asked where I was born, I name the town nearest to the base we were living on and where the hospital was (my official records list this as well).

If asked where I'm from (or grew up) I say: "Nowhere, I'm a military brat." (and its amazing how many people don't realize "military brat" is an accepted term and I'm not saying I was a miserable child.)

[jjimm]

RAF brat too, so I grew up all over the shop. Thus "where were you born?" results in the answer "London", since it is true.

[Freudian Slit]

I lived in the city where I was born for about six weeks. Then I went back to the UAE, where my parents were living at the time. (My mom was here for a few months to have me, but my dad stayed there.) I did come back to the states a few years later. And now I'm living in the city where I was born.

Edited to answer your question: So I say I was born in New York City.

[Skammer]

I usually say I was born in Westminster (California), although my parents lived in Mission Viejo at the time. However, we moved to Massachusetts when I was 2 and I grew up there, so when people ask where I'm from, I say Massachusetts.

[Sunrazor]

I'm starting to think someone's putting together dossiers on us Dopers. Every once in a while we get these seemingly mundane questions and if one were to track the answers, he or she would be able to put together a fairly extensive background on each of us.

Suffice it to say I was born thousands and thousands of miles from the place I actually grew up in. When people ask where I was born, I have to give that city because that's where Mom and Pop lived when they had me and that's where my birth is registered. But home is actually the town where I grew up. Except for the first few weeks of my life, by the way, I've never been anywhere near the city where I was born.

[1010011010]

"Where were you born?"
Richmond, Texas.

"Where are you from?" OR "Where did you grow up?"
Nashville, Tennessee.

I consider the first question a request for a specific piece of information. Richmond had the closest hospital and I have zero recollection of wherever we were actually living at the time.

[Big_Norse]

RAF brat too, so I grew up all over the shop. Thus "where were you born?" results in the answer "London", since it is true.Just to be clear, my Dad's air force was the non-royal one in the States. I was born in Florida (so they tell me, I personally have no memory of the place).

[Colophon]

I'm starting to think someone's putting together dossiers on us Dopers. Every once in a while we get these seemingly mundane questions and if one were to track the answers, he or she would be able to put together a fairly extensive background on each of us.

Actually I didn't intend people to reply by saying where they were born at all! I think some people misinterpreted my question. :)

The intent was merely to ask whether you consider your birthplace to be your actual physical birthplace, or the place that your family lived when you were born (assuming they are different).


Sinister bonus questions... What's your mother's maiden name? And the name of your first pet? And which bank do you use? :p

[A.R. Cane]

One of my children's birth certificate lists Honolulu, Hi., but he was born about 1300 miles from there, on the Midway Ils..

[Harmonious Discord]

I give a state, and say some army base.

[elfkin477]

Where were you born? Methuen, MA, the actual location of the hospital since it's actually where I was born.
Where did you grow up? Um... I lived in Lawrence, MA until I was ten, then moved to Raymond NH (this omits a couple places I lived, but neither were even a year)

[Colophon]

Where were you born? Methuen, MA, the actual location of the hospital since it's actually where I was born.
Where did you grow up? Um... I lived in Lawrence, MA until I was ten, then moved to Raymond NH (this omits a couple places I lived, but neither were even a year)
See, this is the thread drift I was talking about!

I'm not asking where you were born...

[DoctorJ]

I was born in Lexington, KY, but we lived 90 minutes away in Beattyville. Very few people under age 50 or so were born in Beattyville, since there's no hospital there.

When people ask where I was born, I say Lexington, and if they ask where I'm from, and we're in the state, I say Beattyville. If I'm not in the state, I just say "Kentucky, out in the sticks".

Oddly enough, I kind of think of Lexington as home now, since I went to college and med school, made most of my friends, and met and fell in love with my wife there. I feel more of a connection there than I do to Beattyville.

[TroubleAgain]

But I have a pal who was born while his father was on assignment in Yokohama with family. While he was raised and his families home was in Maryland he says he was born on a base in Japan.

Yeah, me, too. Except Florida instead of Maryland.

[CairoCarol]

It would never occur to me that by asking "where were you born?" someone might actually mean "where are you from"? To me they are distinct, separate questions. (Certainly when we fill out immigration forms or get new passports, we put the literal place of birth.)

My son was born in South Africa but never lived there. During the height of anti-American sentiment when Bush started bombing Iraq, a lot of my American friends also living in Egypt lied about their nationality and said they were Canadian. (I'm too truthful to do that; I'd just tell the truth and cringe and look apologetic.)

During this time the greengrocer asked my son what country he was from (he was only about 5 at the time). My son had apparently noticed our discomfort with telling our nationality, so he said softly "American" and added loudly "BUT I WAS BORN IN SOUTH AFRICA."

That moment made me realize just how much even small children can pick up on the unspoken attitudes around them.

[Tamex]

I tell people I was born in Bozeman, MT, which is where the hospital is. If they are just wondering where I lived as a child, it's close enough...the town we lived in is called Manhattan (pop. ~1000) and is 20 miles away. Some people have heard of Bozeman, but almost nobody has heard of Manhattan (well, that one, at least.)

[Elendil's Heir]

The hospital in which I was born is actually in the town where I was raised. But it's a very small town, not terribly well-known, so I usually just say "Ohio," and only mention the town if asked further. Two of my boys were born in Cleveland, where they've also been raised; my third son was born in a suburban hospital near Cleveland but will, I expect, just say "Cleveland" if asked. We really have had no other connection to that 'burb.

[Nametag]

I always say "San Diego" to both questions, as both Lemon Grove and Spring Valley are far too obscure to mention.

[Anastasaeon]

I was born in St. Stephen, NB, Canada. Which is all I bother to say, since I was raised in a town about 20 minutes away from there, too small to be shown on the map.

[Barrington]

If I'm asked where I'm born, I'll say India.

If asked where I'm from...well, that's a harder question, and sometimes you can guess from the tone if they mean ethnicity or not. But if not, I'll say "I grew up in Michigan".That reminds me of a routine by the excellent British comic Sanjeev Bhaskar, who is of Indian lineage. He describes a conversation he often finds himself in, something like this:

White guy: "So, where are you from?"
Sanjeev: "London."
White guy: "No, I mean where are you from originally?"
Sanjeev: "Well, I was actually born in Essex."
White guy: "No ... where were your parents from?"
Sanjeev: "Ahhhh ... I see what you mean now. Sorry. Yeah, my parents - they're from Birmingham."

As for me, the OP's question's easy to answer. I was born in 1960, in a bedroom of a suburban house a couple of miles across the city from here. I spent my entire childhood and youth living there, and both my parents still live in that house, which they bought in 1955. I spent much of my childhood living in the bedroom where I was born.

At least in UK urban communities these days, that's almost unheard-of, and there is no special reason, other than my parents never really wanted to live anywhere else.

[David Simmons]

My interpretation of the question is 'In what town were you born?' I doubt that anyone really cares whether is was at home or a hospital. Oh, it might be of interest if you were born on the sidewalk or in the back seat of a car on the way to a hospital.

My answer is usually just Wisconsin. Sometimes it's Webster, WI.

[Ignatz]

The hospital was in the town I lived in. It is now residential condos. The hospital, not the town.

[Southern Yankee]

I was born at a hospital in Manhattan, but my parents lived in the South Bronx. When I was about 2 months old we moved to NJ where I spent my life through college. . I consider myself a Jersey guy, but always say I was born in Manhattan because I think it's cooler somehow.

[Sternvogel]

I am truly a native of Cleveland, so I give that city's name if asked where I was born. However, I was never a resident of the Cuyahoga County seat. My parents lived in the suburb of Parma, then moved to another suburb (North Olmsted) when I was three years old. I lived there until I moved to Lafayette in 2001.

If asked where I'm from or where I grew up, I say "around Cleveland", then explain further if (as often happens) my interlocutor has spent time in Northeast Ohio. When asked "East Side or West Side?", I know I'm in for a bunch of reminiscing and comparing (the answer is "West Side", as any Clevelanders reading this post already realized).

[Diceman]

I was born in a hospital in White Plains, NY, but my parents were living in a town called Brewster. I was only a year old when we moved out of New York, so if you ask me where I'm from, I'll say Michigan.

[Little Plastic Ninja]

I sometimes claim I was born in Austin.

In actuality I wasn't. I am by birth a Yankee. :( But my father's a Texan and I've lived most of my life in Texas and most of my time in Texas in Austin. And we moved here before I was old enough to speak.

When it becomes an issue, though, the fact that I was born in a very big city helps somewhat.

Not the birth part, but the "And where have you lived/where did you go to school?" question works more for me here. I can name the cities and states I lived in, though some of the cities/towns are not so well known. I could name the town where I went to high school but few people other than Texas history/geography buffs and people who lived in the area would know where I meant. A few people have driven through it on their way somewhere else, though at one time it was apparently a very important shipping lane. Before Houston became a port, my town was on the map. It's on the earliest maps I've seen of Texas, but it's just a tired little town now.

So when people ask me where I went to high school, I don't explain the storied history of the place. I say "Down by (city it's close to) and they usually take that. :D If someone asks excitedly what school I went to, they used to live there, I'll elaborate.

[brendon_small]

I usually say "Near Athens" when asked. I was born at the hospital in Athens, Ohio, but grew up outside of the town in a little truckstop-village about 45 minutes away. No one has usually heard of it, unless they are from the next town over or something, so I refer to it by county if not Athens, but that is still slightly an unheard name, even for other people in Ohio.

Brendon Small

[babygirl]

Born in Philadelphia, lived there for about a year, then moved to Croydon which is outside of Philly. When I left Croydon I was about 12 or so moved to Florida. Met the hubby when I was 18 or so and now that he is stationed in NC I reside in NC.

[gigi]

I was born in a hospital in White Plains, NY, but my parents were living in a town called Brewster. I was only a year old when we moved out of New York, so if you ask me where I'm from, I'll say Michigan.
Oo, Brewster! We used to play golf there when the parents lived in Danbury. It's my favorite exit on 84 :) . Or is it 684 by then?

[jsc1953]

When filling out a form, I give the town where the hospital was. That's what it says on my birth certificate.

But when asked where I'm from, I give the actual town I came home from the hospital to, and where I lived the next 18 years. (Actually, I usually give the general geographic area, cuz no one's heard of my home town.)

[Ximenean]

Actually I didn't intend people to reply by saying where they were born at all! I think some people misinterpreted my question. :)

The intent was merely to ask whether you consider your birthplace to be your actual physical birthplace, or the place that your family lived when you were born (assuming they are different).
Yeah, lots of people answering a question that wasn't asked. To me it's pretty straightforward - your birthplace is the place you were born, even if that is a hospital in a town you've never otherwise been too.

[TupeloHoney]

It is straightforward - people ask where you are born or they ask where you grew up. They can easily be two different places. I happen to have been born in a town in southern PA and also grew up there until I went to college.

[TokyoBayer]

The vast majority of people who ask me where I'm born are Japanese, so I start off big and go small. I was born in the States, Utah, and Salt Lake City, which happens to be both where the hospital was and my home town.

If I had been born in a separate town than my home town, and if someone from the States who asked, I would probably tell the town where the hospital is, because I'm really literal about stuff like this.

[Cyberhwk]

For 15 years it had never even occurred to me that the hospital I was born in was across the river in another town. Wasn't until I almost answered it wrong when filling out some government form that my mom corrected me.

[TroubleAgain]

I answer with the country, unless asked specifically, since most Americans don't know Japan well.