How to Use Certificates of Naturalization Trace Ancestors

Use certificates of naturalization for ancestry research.

What are certificates of naturalization?

Most certificates of naturalization contain only the name of the individual, the name of the court, and the date of issue. Certificates were issued to naturalized citizens upon completion of all citizenship requirements. The Certificate of Naturalization includes name, address, birthplace or nationality, the country from which they emigrated, birth date or age, personal description, marital status, name of spouse, age (or birth date) and address of spouse, information about children (including names, ages, and addresses), and date of the document.

  • Certificate of Citizenship. This document granted the individual United States citizenship.
  • Oath of Allegiance. This document was used to renounce an immigrant’s allegiance to a foreign country and declare their allegiance to the United States. The Oath of Allegiance includes the petitioner’s signature and the date of the document.

Where will you find naturalization records? Begin by looking for naturalization records in the courts of the county or city where the immigrant lived. Look first for the petition (second papers) because they are usually easier to find in courts near where the immigrant eventually settled. After 1906, the declaration can be filed with the petition as the immigrant was required to submit a copy when he submitted the petition. Online resources include Ancestry.com. Also, check regional branches of the National Archives.

https://www.ancestry.com/
https://www.archives.gov/

Other Records to Help in Ancestry Research

Where can I learn more about how to trace ancestry?

The following are important articles for learning about ancestry and historical research.

Where can I learn more about records to trace ancestry?

The following is an overview of 15 types of vital, government and historical records I have found constantly valuable in my individual, family, and narrative research. These records provide vital and biographical information on individuals and families. When I mastered researching these resources, I could quickly expand my research to other records to help me connect the pieces for writing narratives and other historical research.

For each record type, I have included what you will find, how to use the resource, and research insights for each record type. I would encourage you to use this article as a starting point from which you can search out and find other record tutorials guides and help to provide deeper insights.