Naturalization Records

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
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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:

  • Country of origin
  • Port of arrival
  • Port of embarkation
  • Date of arrival in the United States

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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

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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)

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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

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:

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:

Records for Tracing Immigrant Ancestors
Cemetery Records Census Records Church Records 
Colonial Town Records Historical and Genealogical Societies Histories and Biographies
Land Grant Records Maps and Gazetteers Naturalization Record
Obituaries Passport Applications Ship Passenger Lists
Social Security Applications Social Security Death Index

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:

Learn more about immigrant records at “Immigrant Records at the National Archives.”

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