Use of "born on (date)" and "born (date)". (2025)

Hello. I've had some difficulties with the use of "born on (date)" and "born (date)" without a preposition, so I hope you could shed some light on the problem.

First instance: I was translating a book to be published in America. Every time when I wrote "N was born ON 12.06.1967", the American editor corrected it to "N was born 12.06.1967".

Second instance: I was working at a Bulgarian translation centre. When I used the "N was born 12.06.1967" construction, the senior translator corrected it to "N was born ON 12.06.1967", without offering explanations.

A bit of research showed me that both constructions are widely used, and I guess they are both correct, or at least correct in certain cases.

1. Can someone tell me what is the difference between the two constructions, if there is any? I guess one is AE, and the other is BE, but I'm not positively sure about it. Are there some rules or guidelines for their usage? Perhaps the form without the preposition is more colloquial?

2. I have some doubts on the correct form when only the year is specified. I think these constructions are OK: "He was born 1970" and "He was born in 1970", while this sounds quite wrong to me "He was born on 1970". Am I right?

Thanks in advance.

I suspect that you are right in putting it down to a difference between BrE and AmE.

In BrE speech, we always say "born on [date] and not just "born [date]". We use that construction in narrative writing too. However, in summarised documents, such as application forms and CVs (resumés), we tend to write "born [date].

Bars said:

So you mean that in BrE "born" is used strictly in official and formal documents, while in all other areas you prefer "born on" ?

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No - there's nothing "strict" about it at all.

"Born on" is the standard usage. "Born" can be used, and often is, when setting out what I have called "summary" documents, i.e. those designed for the presentation or collection of data without needing to be expressed in good English.

But thinking about it further, a form seeking information is more likely to have "Date of birth" of "DoB". "Born [date] is more likely to be used on a form presenting data.

Kevin Beach said:

I suspect that you are right in putting it down to a difference between BrE and AmE.

In BrE speech, we always say "born on [date] and not just "born [date]". We use that construction in narrative writing too. However, in summarised documents, such as application forms and CVs (resumés), we tend to write "born [date].

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I don't think it's a BE/AE difference because I would say the same thing you said. In conversation I would say "I was born on the 1st of Januray" or "I was born on January 1st" in most cases. In a biography I would not be surprised to see "Born January 1st, 1921. Died November 19th, 1992."

As for the year it can only be "in", in my experience. "I was born in 1921", not "I was born on 1921" or "I was born 1921". "On" is reserved for a specific date in this context and "in" when only the year is given.

Bars said:

First instance: I was translating a book to be published in America. Every time when I wrote "N was born ON 12.06.1967", the American editor corrected it to "N was born 12.06.1967".

Second instance: I was working at a Bulgarian translation centre. When I used the "N was born 12.06.1967" construction, the senior translator corrected it to "N was born ON 12.06.1967", without offering explanations.

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Both versions are correct. The editors were simply ensuring consistency within their own publication houses.

Rover