Rory McWhirter, of Edinburgh, collected identity details from people he had deceived into applying for fake jobs at a Glasgow hotel.
He used the details to obtain their marriage certificates before using them to register the fake births.
McWhirter then used the birth certificates to claim benefits.
McWhirter, who travelled around Scotland to register the births, previously admitted a charge of fraud committed between 1 June 2014 and 22 October 2015.
He claimed tax credits amounting to £14,222, child benefits of £19,658 and a Sure Start maternity grant of £500.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told that McWhirter was caught after returning to the scene of one of his early false birth registrations at Aberdeen registry office where he was recognised by staff.
Depute fiscal Vicki Bell told the court that McWhirter presented letters to registrars at various offices throughout Scotland purporting to be from doctors confirming the births of children at home.
During the meetings he acted as if he was the male named on the marriage certificate while registering the birth, the court was told.
McWhirter's solicitor John McLeod said his client earned about £80,000 per year and would be able to repay the money at £2,000 to £2,500 a month if he was not jailed.
Mr McLeod said: "The money was going straight into his property business venture.
"He has had two failed businesses - first a bar that was swiftly run into the ground and the property company.
"He felt he couldn't go back to his family - who are successful - for a second bail-out so came up with this scheme.
"This was well planned in the sense that a lot of effort was put in.
"But it is hardly Machiavellian and it came unstuck because he was foolish enough to go in to the same registrar's office several times."
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael said: "This was a fairly sophisticated fraudulent scheme.
"It was an attack on the public purse, on the integrity of the system of births, deaths and marriages and also an attack on the system of working tax credits, child benefit and maternity grants.
"Putting that all together there is no alternative to custody."

The 69-year-old's Yamaha collided with a Nissan car between Handley's Corner and Barre Garroo crossroads at about 17:00 BST on 4 June.
Mr Baker, who was from the island, was airlifted to Noble's Hospital, where he later died.
Insp Dave Dobbie said "thoughts and condolences are with Mr Baker's family".
He added that investigations are ongoing in relation to the crash.
The car driver, who police say was Northern Irish, was treated in hospital but has been discharged.
Another motorcyclist who was injured after the crash has also been released from hospital.
The collision happened outside of the TT racing, which is taking place on the island.

Built in the 13th Century, it overlooks Aleppo's Old City and is part of a UN-listed World Heritage site.
Syrian government forces have been using the citadel as a military position.
Government and rebel forces have been fighting for control of the city for over three years. It is not known which side caused the explosion.
Fighting on the ground and government air strikes have left thousands dead, and destroyed more than 60% of the Old City.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said the explosion occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning.
"The blast caused the collapse of part of the wall of the citadel," the organisation's chief, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP news agency.
The government says that rebel fighters set off a bomb in a tunnel beneath the citadel.
The use of tunnel bombs has become a common rebel tactic.
Since the start of July, rebel groups have been waging a major offensive against President Bashar al-Assad's troops in the city.
More than 230,000 people are believed to have been killed in Syria since the uprising against President Assad began in March 2011. Some 11.5 million others - more than half of the country's population - have fled their homes.
A businessman who registered the births of 26 non-existent babies as part of a benefit fraud scheme has been jailed for 28 months.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
A motorcyclist who was killed in a crash on the Isle of Man has been named by police as Kevin Baker.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
A bomb explosion has caused part of the walls of Aleppo's ancient citadel to collapse.