Naturalization Indexes

Naturalization: An Explanation

According to the New York State Archives and Records Administration, a naturalization "is a grant of full legal rights and privileges of a native-born individual to a non-native foreigner."

An immigrant who wishes to become an American citizen must first file a Declaration of Intention with a local court, stating his intent to become a citizen. If the applicant has been a resident of the United States for at least five years, he or she may petition the court to become a US Citizen. This petition is the Naturalization.

What You Can Learn from Naturalization Records

Naturalization records have long been popular in genealogical research. Depending on the time period they cover, the records can reveal much valuable information. All records will show which nation the person immigrated from, his or her current address, and the date naturalized.  Some records will also reveal the port left from and the port arrived at, the name of the vessel traveled on, as well as the person's date of birth and occupation. Post-1906 Naturalizations contain the most information.

For a more detailed discussion of Naturalization records and Declarations of Intention, see the information leaflet Naturalization and Related Records  published by the New York State Archives and Records Administration.

Naturalization Index Search Tips:

• These records are for naturalizations that took place in  Albany County only.
• Please remember that our records start in the year 1821 and run through 1991, when the federal government took over the recording process from local governments.
• You do not need to enter information in every box.
• You can enter partial names, or first initials.
• The more information you enter, the narrower your results will be.
• Capitalization doesn't count, spellingdoes.
• When searching for a particular name please check for various spellings. There are several reasons why a name may not appear in our database with the spelling you expect:
  • Family names change spellings over the years;
  • The name may have been entered incorrectly in the written records, or the handwriting may be difficult to read;
  • Although great care was taken while entering the names into the database, there may be typographical errors.

Examples:

• Entering "Bro" in the "Last Name" box and leaving the other boxes empty will generate a list of almost 300 records, from Broacher to Brozozwski.
• Entering "Bro" in the "Last Name" box and "R" in the "First Name" box will bring up 13 records, from Robert Broadfoot to Robert Browning.
• Entering "Brody" in the "Last Name" box and leaving the other boxes empty will produce only five records.
• Entering "Russia" in the "Nation of Origin" box will generate a list of over 1,700 records.
• Entering "Russia" in the "Nation of Origin" box and "Bro" in the "Last Name" box will generate 17 records.
• Entering "Brody" in the "Last Name" box and "Russia" in the "Nation of Origin" box will bring up two records.