New York Naturalization Index (Soundex) - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection is an index to photocopies of naturalization documents filed in twelve courts in New York from 1792 to 1906. This collection corresponds to National Archives publication number M1674. The index is arranged according to the Soundex system.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The index usually includes the following:


 * Petition number
 * Date of petition
 * Volume and page number of the petition

It may also show:


 * Declaration number
 * Date of declaration
 * Volume and page number of the declaration
 * Certification number
 * Date of issuance

Coverage Table
The coverage table shows the locality, courts and years covered in this index. Most of the records in the collection are from the time periods listed in the table below; however, the collection may have a few records from before or after the time period.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The full name of your ancestor
 * The approximate immigration and naturalization dates
 * The ancestor’s residence

If you do not know this information, check the 1900 census and then calculate the possible year of naturalization based on the date of immigration. The 1920 census may tell you the exact year of immigration or naturalization.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the Roll Number, Soundex (Name Range) to view the images.

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.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

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

 * Use the locator information found in the index (such as name of court, page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the records
 * Learn an immigrant’s place of origin
 * Confirm their date of arrival
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived, and then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts and then in state, county, or city courts
 * An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process
 * If your ancestor had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for a name before you decide which is correct
 * Continue to search the naturalization records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who may have naturalized in the same area or nearby
 * The witnesses named on naturalization records may have been older relatives of the person in the naturalization process. Search for their naturalizations
 * You may want to obtain the naturalization records of every person who shares your ancestor’s surname if they lived in the same county or nearby. You may not know how or if they are related, but the information could lead you to more information about your own ancestors

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

 * Check for variant spellings. Realize that the indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings and misinterpretations
 * Try a different index if there is one for the years needed. You may also need to search the naturalization records year by year
 * Search the indexes of nearby counties
 * Consult the New York Record Finder to find other records

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.


 * Collection Citation:"New York Naturalization Index (Soundex), 1792-1906." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Citing NARA microfilm publication M1674. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

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