Whether your family came through Ellis Island or another point of entry, finding your family’s records is a powerful experience. We invite you to explore our Arrival Records Collection and start uncovering your family’s story by clicking HERE!
If you would like help with the search, try our Family Records Search service. Members at the VOYAGE level and above receive one session. You will be teamed with one of our research experts to help start you on your genealogical journey!
In 2001, the Foundation opened a family history center in the National Museum of Immigration on Ellis Island. The Foundation’s database, the Arrival Records Collection, contains records for points of entry across the U.S.—Ellis Island and New York, but also Massachusetts, Florida, Hawaii, California, and more–spanning the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The database is available to the public at the Records Discovery Center on Ellis Island and free online at www.StatueOfLberty.org/arrival-search/.
All you need to get going is a name, but your search will be a lot easier and more accurate if you start off with more information. If you have only a name to work with — and that name is John Smith, for instance — you’re going to be combing through thousands of records with no clue as to which John Smith is your great-grandfather. Even more-uncommon names could give you hundreds of results.
To prepare for your search and ensure best results, we recommend gathering as much information as you can. Did your relative have travel companions? What was their hometown? When did they arrive in the U.S.? Our database can account for different surname spellings, but if you believe your passenger made a dramatic change to the family name it will be beneficial to know their birth name.
The Foundation is now collaborating with FamilySearch to improve the process of annotating and correcting indexed manifest records, which enables researchers to find arrival records more effectively.
If you have identified a record in need of editing (e.g., misspelled name), simply go to the FamilySearch website to submit the proposed changes. This article outlines the steps.
This collaboration also includes annotations. If you would like to contribute an annotation (e.g., marriage date, place of residency), reference this article on the FamilySearch website for directions.
It’s good to prepare for your search by gathering details about your passenger. Helpful details include: the passenger’s first and last names; approximate year of arrival; “ethnicity” (which may include race, nationality, and/or religion); approximate age at arrival; ship of travel; port of departure; and whether the passenger traveled with other family members.
While not all of this information is required for a successful search, having some knowledge about a passenger’s arrival is very useful.
For those arriving by sea or air, arrival records were filled out at the point of departure. For those crossing the United States border, the record would be filled out at the Border Crossing Station.
While clerical errors were possible, immigrants were not given new names upon arrival.
Be sure to search the ethnic spelling of your ancestor’s name. For example, an Italian immigrant you knew as “Joseph” will likely be listed as “Giuseppe.” A Hungarian woman named “Susan” might be listed as “Zsuzsanna.” The same applies for men, women, and children.
Want to take a tour through your family’s history? Start the process of determining your heritage by playing genealogist at home. Our guides and references can help you find the information you need to find answers and connect to your roots.
The immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island made a profound impact on our culture and society. They made contributions to business, science, and culture – and today, a number of them are counted among our most celebrated citizens.
Hear the story of American immigration from the people who lived it. Our comprehensive Oral History Project contains interviews from all corners of the island’s history helping modern visitors walk in the footsteps of their ancestors.
