How to Trace Italian Ancestry Records
Nearly 16 million Americans claimed Italian ancestry in the 2000 U.S. Census. This number isn't surprising since more than 5 million Italians have immigrated to the United States since 1820. If your ancestors were among them, you'll find there are plenty of genealogical resources to lead you back to your Italian roots. The Internet is a good place to start gathering records on this side of the ocean. What isn't online can often be found in microfilmed documents in the United States or in foreign repositories.
Instructions
-
-
1
Identify the immigrant's full, original name (not the one he or she adopted in America) and date of birth (at least the year). Use home sources, information from relatives, census, vital and church or other official records to find this information. Whenever possible use a woman's maiden name.
-
2
Look for documentation of your ancestor's arrival. Naturalization and immigration records typically provide the date of arrival and the name of the ship, depending on when your ancestors came. The majority of Italian immigrants arrived during the peak immigration years (1880 to 1920). Watch for more than one arrival record, especially for male ancestors. The goal for many Italian men was to earn enough money in the United States so they could return to Italy and buy land. Some men traveled back and forth to Italy several times before permanently settling in America and sending for their families.
-
-
3
Make contact with living relatives. It's unlikely that all of your ancestors' relatives came to America, so it's possible that you still have distant cousins in the ancestral village. You can try searching for names on the Internet, but since older family members residing in remote villages in Italy may not have computers, you may have to send them a letter. Try searching Italian telephone directories on the Web for names and contact information.
-
4
Brush up on Italian history and geography. This is important to help you learn about your ancestral village and gain an understanding of where and how your ancestors lived and what factors may have led to their emigration. It's possible to find information about a particular village in travel guide books or on the Internet. Your local library should have plenty of books that offer some historical and cultural background of the area.
-
5
View Italian microfilmed records from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. The library has thousands of rolls of microfilmed original documents from Italy. You don't need to travel to Salt Lake City to view these records. You can rent films for a small fee from one of the more than 4,500 Family History Centers located worldwide. Simply search the Family History Library Catalog to find a center near you and to see what records are available.
-
6
Learn traditional Italian naming patterns to help you make an educated guess about first names you don't know. For example, Southern Italians usually name the first son after the father's father; the second son after the mother's father; the third son after the father; the first daughter after the father's mother; the second daughter after the mother's mother; and the third daughter after the mother.
-
7
Learn what's available in Italian records. Italy's state archives have copies of civil records; however, the Italian government does not permit vital records to be copied or viewed until they are at least 75 years old. Other records that may be obtained from the archives include censuses, military-conscription and service records, notary records, and tax assessments. The town or village clerk's office and the local churches should also still have copies of key documents. There are three ways to get copies. You can write to Italian repositories (where permitted) and have copies sent to you usually for a fee, travel to Italy and do the research yourself, or hire someone else to do the research for you.
-
8
Check the Italy Gen Web and MyItalianFamily.com for research guides, surname lists, information on archives, maps and geographical information, message boards, records information, travel tips, translation resources and more.
-
9
Document your findings. Keep track of your information using a genealogical software program to generate ancestral or pedigree charts, family group sheets and other family reports. Write down family stories and properly cite all of your sources so that you know where you located a particular fact or detail. Even official records may contain errors, and you may need to reference a source again in the future to verify information.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
1. If you're having trouble tracking down the name of your ancestor's home village, try researching his or her neighbors and relatives in America for clues.
2. Hire a professional to get what you can't. Professional researchers know the archival system and the language and may have greater success.
1. While the Family History Library has an extensive microfilm collection, it doesn't have every record for every time period or locality. Microfilming in Italy is still ongoing, so keep checking back.
2. Most of the records created in Italy will be in Italian. Use an Italian-English dictionary, an online translation program, word lists available at the Family History Library, or hire a translator.
References
- "Finding Italian Roots: The Complete Guide for Americans;" John Philip Colletta; 2003
- "Genealogists Guide to Discovering Your Italian Ancestors: How to Find and Record Your Unique Heritage;" Lynn Nelson; 1997
- "Italian Genealogical Records: How to Use Italian Civil, Ecclesiastical & Other Records in Family History Research;" Trafford R. Cole; 1995
