Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists Index Cards - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of a name index and images from a Soundex card index to Philadelphia passenger lists from 1 Jan 1883 through 28 Jun 1948. Each card contains the given name, family name, place of birth, age, gender, occupation, nationality, last permanent residence, destination, name &amp; address of relative or friend, port &amp; date of entry, name of ship, and the volume, page, and line number in the passenger lists. The cards are field according to the Soundex number associated with each family name and then by given names. This collection corresponds to NARA publication T526: Index (Soundex) Cards, Ship Arrivals at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1883-1948. Passenger arrival lists do not exist from July 1, 1948 to November 30, 1954.

The soundex index is a phonetic index that groups together names that sound alike but are spelled differently, for example, Stewart and Stuart. The index cards are filed according to the soundex number associated with each family name and then by given names. For more information on soundex indexes and help with coding names and using the index, see the wiki article: Soundex

This collection indexes passenger lists on NARA publication T840 Passenger Lists of vessels Arriving at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1883-1945.

Passenger arrival lists known as customs manifests date back to 1820. Congressional action in 1891 resulted in federal immigration officials recording the immigrants’ arrival. Arrival lists were used by legal authorities to gather personal information about immigrants prior to the person being allowed to live in the United States. The information was supplied by the immigrant or a traveling companion (usually a family member). Incorrect information was occasionally given, or mistakes may have been made when the clerk guessed at the spelling of foreign names.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate year of arrival to Philadelphia

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information to find other records such as emigrations, port records, ship’s manifests, birth, christening, census, and land records
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Use the information to find additional family members in census records
 * Search for vital records, such as birth, marriage, and death for the family
 * Search for naturalization records
 * Search for land and probate records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Pennsylvania.
 * Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records
 * Pennsylvania Guided Research
 * Pennsylvania Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Pennsylvania Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Passenger lists of vessels arriving at Philadelphia, 1800-1882 with index 1800-1906 : U. S. National Archives Microfilm Publications M360, M425.
 * Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Philadelphia,1883-1945; index (soundex) to passenger lists arriving at Philadelphia, 1883-1948; book indexes, 1906-1926 : NARA publications T840, M526, and T791
 * Impost books of the Collector of Customs at Philadelphia, NARA T0255
 * Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. Philadelphia. Immigrant records, 1884-1952
 * Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. Philadelphia. Card file of detainee immigrants, 1914-1921
 * Jewish immigrant aid societies' records of Jewish arrivals, 1913-1947
 * Jewish petition cards to bring relatives to the United States, 1923-1935
 * Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. Philadelphia. Landing verification cards, 1907-1914
 * Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. Philadelphia. Records, 1884-1934
 * People's Bank. Lipschutz Steamship Company. Prepaid steamship ticket record, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 1906-1948''

 Publications
 * Michael Tepper, American passenger arrival records: a guide to the records of immigrants arriving at American ports by sail and steam Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, c1993 FS Library 973 W27am 1993
 * John Philip Colletta, They came in ships: a guide to finding your immigrant ancestor's arrival record. 3rd ed. Orem, Utah: Ancestry Publishing, c2002 FS Library 973 W27c 2002
 * Michael J. Anuta,Ships of our ancestors Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1993, 2006 FS Library 973 U3an 1993

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Morton Allan directory of European passenger steamship arrivals : for the years 1890 to 1930 at the port of New York and for the years 1904 to 1926 at the ports of New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore New York, New York : Immigration Information Bureau, c1931

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.