Caterina Ranieri, PC

Things I Have Learned From Family Records Series

If your Italian ancestor came to America in the 1900s, there is a document worth searching for that most families never knew existed.

It is called a Declaration of Intention which sometimes referred to as "first papers". It was the first formal step toward American citizenship, a legal statement of an immigrant's desire to become part of this country.

Not every immigrant completed the naturalization process to become a United States citizen.

Some returned to Italy before they could finish.

Some died before the oath was taken.

But the Declaration itself was filed, recorded, and preserved.

I found one for my own paternal grandfather. No one in my family had ever known it existed until I discovered itwhile searching for records about my family.

If your ancestor filed a Declaration of Intention, it may tell you their exact birthplace, their age, their physical description, and the date their arrived in America.

Have you searched for your ancestor's Declaration of Intention? It may be waiting for you in an archive right now.

Sometimes the most surprising discoveries in family research aren't about dates or places but our ancestors' names.

One common name pattern I have noticed in my work was that often, someone born Carmela was bequeathed with the nickname Mildred.

Have you ever uncovered a name in your family history that surprised you, one you didn't know existed, or one that vanished without explanation? Tell me about it in the comments. I'd be honored to hear it.