Use U.S. Naturalization records in ancestry and genealogy immigration research.
Naturalization records document that an individual was granted citizenship in the United States. Naturalization records are a way to locate arrival information for immigrants. Those issued after 1906 will have other significant genealogical information. Many immigrants become naturalized. Citizenship was required to own land, serve in public office, or vote. Information varies greatly among documents and periods.
Using Naturalization Records to Trace Immigrant Ancestors
Table of Contents
- Pre-1906 Naturalization Records
- Post-1906 Naturalization Records
- How to Use Naturalization Records
- Other Resources to Help Trace Immigrant Ancestors
Pre-1906 Naturalization Records
Documents or records from before 1906 varied greatly from state to state because there were no federal standards. You should at least be able to find the following information:
Post-1906 Naturalization Records
Documents after 1906 can include information such as the following:
- Name
- Current address
- Occupation
- Birthplace or nationality
- Birth date or age
- Marital status
- Name, age, and the birthplace of a spouse
- Names, ages, and birthplaces of children
- State and port of emigration (departure)
- State and port of immigration (arrival)
- Name of ship or mode of entry
- Town or court where the naturalization occurred
- Names, addresses, and occupations of witnesses
- Physical description and photo of immigrant
- Immigrant’s signature
- Witness names
- Immigration year
- Additional documentation, such as evidence of a name change
How to Use Naturalization Records
Use naturalization records to learn the following information for an individual:
- Country of origin (pre-and post-1906)
- Timeframe to search for a ship passenger arrival list (pre-and post-1906)
- Clues about relatives or neighbors (pre-and post-1906)
- An individual’s signature (pre-and post-1906)
- Perhaps another version of the person’s name, such as a non-anglicized spelling (pre-and post-1906)
- Exact village or town the person came from (post-1906)
- Immigrant’s birth date and place (post-1906)
- Details of arrival in the United States (name of ship, date and port of arrival, and so on) to find individual’s ship arrival record (post-1906)
- Names, dates, and birthplaces of wives and children (post-1906)
- Occupation (post-1906)
- Marriage details (post-1906)
- Photograph of the individual (post-1906)
- Evidence of a name change (post-1906)
- Reference to other courts where first papers may have been filed (suggesting immigrant lived elsewhere for a while) (post-1906)
Other Resources to Help Trace Immigrant Ancestors
Are you developing a family history for an individual or family? Are you trying to find their immigrant origins? Start by seeing the articles
- 5 Steps to Finding Immigrant Ancestor Country of Origin
- Overcome Research Brick Walls to Find Ancestor’s Country of Origin
The following videos can help you get a head start in understanding immigration and country of origin ancestor research.
How to Find the Origin of Immigrants Coming to America
An introduction to immigration and migration historical research. You will be introduced to a five-step methodology to find the immigrant origins when conducting individual and family history research.
Addition videos include:
- What Records to Search to Discover Immigrant Origins-Part 1
- What Records to Search to Discover Immigrant Origins-Part 2
- How to Find Immigrants Real Surname and Life Event Dates
The following are records I have found extremely helpful and full of clues to finding an individual’s birthplace and immigrant origins. It is designed to provide a quick reference and direction for finding and searching for records as probable places to find information. You can use these records to develop an immigrant paper trail to assist you in finding and tracing an individual immigrant’s origins. Check out these articles:
Check out the following country profiles to learn more about their immigration and migration in America.
| Immigration and Migration in America | ||
| Czechs and Slovaks | Danish | Dutch |
| English | Finnish | French |
| German | Greek | Hungarian |
| Icelandic | Irish | Italian |
| Norwegian | Polish | Russian |
| Scandinavian | Scottish | Swedish |
| Welch | United States Western Migration | |
Articles include:
- British Immigration to America for Ancestry Research
- Scandinavian Immigration to America for Ancestry Research
- Western European Immigration to America for Ancestry Research
- Eastern European Immigration to America for Ancestry Research
- Western Migration in America for Ancestry Research
Learn more about immigrant records at “Immigrant Records at the National Archives.”
