Besides having their names changed at ellis island, immigrants had to go through many other ordeals before they were allowed to enter the us. They changed our name at ellis island immigrant names and name changes at ellis island. From 1892 until the 1950s a total of 12 million people passed through ellis island on their way to starting a new life in the usa. Italian family looking for lost baggage, ellis island. Ellis island isnt to blame for your familys name change. Sometimes the names just evolved because of common misuse. Italians to america 1855 1900 passenger lists data files transcriptions relating to the immigration of italians to the united states. Color portraits of immigrants at ellis island in pictures the paper time machine, a crowdfunding project on showing colorised portraits of immigrants to ellis island in. Sometimes, they changed their name before even getting on the ship to come to america. The idea that an entire familys name was changed by one clerk, especially one at ellis island, is seldom supported by historical research and analysis.
This is an nonfictioninfo text that describes what ellis island was and what it was like for immigrants to arrive when moving to america. Italian family looking for lost baggage, ellis island names hine, lewis wickes 18741940 photographer collection. Hard documentation for name changes done by officials at ellis island is basically nonexistent. You can still use any name you want as long as you do. The third stage is when they recognize that most myths are based on some aspect of truth, and even if you know a name in question wasnt changed at ellis island, there is probably something to your family story. Italian immigration was important because it was the filth largest ethnicity group to in us.
I wrote a feature article for the niafs ambassador magazine national italian american foundation last year. New york passenger arrival lists ellis island 18921924. The free ellis island records database, provided online by the statue of libertyellis island foundation, allows you to search by name, year of arrival, year of birth, town or village of origin, and ship name for immigrants who entered the u. For many generations of americans, and for almost all italian americans, ellis island is the first chapter of their familys story in the united states. My grandfathers name was changed by the registrar going through ellis island. An ellis island search finds 432 passengers 316 men named lucchese arrived between 19001929. A similar search for lochist finds 0 arrived between 19001929. Most ellis island officials didnt change immigrants surnames. Almost everyone i meet has a story about how their surname was changed at ellis island upon their ancestors entry in to the us. If your name was changed at ellis island is a greatly insightful book. From 1892 to 1954, approximately 12 million immigrants arriving at the port of new york and new jersey were processed there under federal law.
Trying to put a dent in the our name was changed at ellis island myth has been a pet project of mine for years but its widespread and persistent so the more articles like this, the better. Today, it is part of the statue of liberty national monument, accessible to the public only by ferry. Ellis island isnt to blame for your familys name change a longstanding myth obscures the truth behind the americanization of some european names european immigrants arrive in america. The main character, ciro lazarri, passed through ellis island on his way from italy.
The truth of the matter is that names were not usually changed at ellis. His name registered on the ships manifest had his name lucchese. Transcribers copied passenger names as they appeared on original ships lists. Outside the great hall at the ellis island national museum of immigration, 775,000 names are inscribed on 770 panels, formed in a semicircle wall. Many people actually did have their last names changed by harried officials at ellis island who werent familiar with the spellingspronuncians of eurpean names. While immigrants surnames often changed as they adjusted to the new country and culture, they were very rarely changed upon their arrival at ellis island. Nowadays our names are recorded when we are born and are virtually never changed. American name change stories tend to be apocryphal, that is, they were developed later to explain events shrouded in the mist of time.
Results from the database of more than 22 million records. Italian family arriving in new york in 1905 the dream of america comes true. Ellis island was the gateway for over 12 million immigrants to the united states as the nations busiest immigrant inspection station for over sixty years from 1892 until 1954. Nara immigration records ship passenger arrival records tips from the national archives on how ship passenger lists can help you in your research. However, there is little truth in these name change stories. October 3, 20 by languagehat 41 comments weve all heard stories about family names that were changed at ellis island where immigrants coming to new york were processed a century ago. The reason why some italian surnames changed after. This statement is so common it is just about as american as apple pie. Did ellis island officials really change the names of. Search free ellis island archives and records familysearch.
Many previous immigrant groups, such as those from germany and scandinavia, had passed through new york city in decades past, but most had regarded the city merely as a way station, and had continued on to settle elsewhere in the country. But even though many may have had unusual names at least to an english speakerit is a persistent myth that ellis island inspectors altered birth names of the weary immigrants. If you traveled west in a covered wagon, if your name was changed at ellis island, i hate english. The island, in upper new york bay, was greatly expanded with land reclamation between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the site of fort gibson and later a naval magazine. These names are not necessarily of those persons who were processed through ellis island. See more ideas about ellis island, island and ellis island immigrants. No, your familys name was not changed at ellis island. These search results show names inscribed on the american immigrant wall of honor only.
Ellis island is a federally owned island in new york harbor that was the united states busiest immigrant inspection station. Sofias list beautiful and rare names from the ellis island passenger records of 153 great name ideas. The only time names ever really changed at ellis island is if the immigrant decided to change their name to fit in with american society or the local community to which they were moving. Why did the authorities at ellis island change peoples. American family lore is full of tales of surnames being changed for the new world. But even though many may have had unusual namesat least to an english speakerit is a persistent myth that ellis island inspectors altered birth names of the weary immigrants. Now it was told to me that italians were not treated well if you were known to go by an italian name and so that is why they changed them after ellis island. When doctors inspected immigrants, they would sometimes put a chalk mark on their backs to signify the further tests they needed. Guttmans becoming goodmans, dimartinos becoming martins, szelbracikowskis becoming shelbricks.
Most of them changed when they register with the immigration office to become u. If your name was changed at ellis island by ellen levine. Giovanni palmieri became john palmer, giuseppe molinaro became joe miller, and vincenzo di giorgio was known as james digeorge. In my own family, the spelling of our surnames changed over the years.
You also can have your family name inscribed for posterity at ellis island, regardless of when they came to america or through which port they. During the forty years it operated, ellis island saw more than 12 million immigrants pass through its gates, at a rate of up to 5,000 people a day. And that even some tour guides at ellis island perpetuate this myth. We have all heard someone say that their family name was changed by the inspectors at ellis island. Simply click the add to your ellis island file box that appears on each results page.
The above paragraphs show how improbable and unlikely it is that ellis island officials would, could, or did regularly change immigrants names. They changed our name at ellis island ancestral findings. It didnt help that vito corleone the godfather, part 2 had his name changed at ellis island when he arrived. To search the historical passenger lists in the ellis island archives of more than 51 million immigrants, passengers, and crew members who came through ellis island and the port of new york from 1892 to 1957, please visit passenger search. Why your family name was not changed at ellis island and. Italian surnames have changed so much in the past century. This is a searchable index of 25 million names of immigrants and international passengers who arrived at ellis island from 1892 to 1924. For a number of reasons its possible your ancestors name is recorded incorrectly in the ellis island immigration records. Ellis island passenger list search ellis island records ellis island immigration 18921924 22 million passengers and ships crews who came through the port of ny at ellis island last name required and must contain at least 2 letters. Blk africa african african black alaskan alaskan indian albanian algerian alsace lorraine alsatian american indian arabian argentinian armenian asian asiatic assyrian australian austrian aztec bahamian barbadian basque belgian belgium bermudian bessarabian black boer bohemian bolivian bosnian brazilian. An immigrant family on ellis island looks out across new york harbor at the statue of liberty. New york, passenger and crew lists including castle garden and ellis island, 18201957 u.
The italian immigrants who passed the test of ellis island went about transforming the city that they found before them. There was no requirement to immigrants to use their real last name when. Additionally, immigrants had little reason or circumstances to acquire a new name during the process. The second stage is when they realize the whole ellis island name change thing is a myth, and basically no names were changed there. Irish emigrants about to step off at ellis island, ny snippets of irish life and history that tell the story of ireland.
This is a guest post written by myheritage blog editor and contributor schelly talalay dardashti, myheritages us genealogy advisor. An italian immigrant woman and her three children on their way to join the family patriarch in scranton, pennsylvania. Upon being called by the name of lochist, he didnt answer. Ellen levine is the author of many acclaimed books, both fiction and nonfiction. On ellis island, a wall honors immigrants old and new. Be sure to search for last name only if you dont find your ancestor by searching for first and last names. But the idea that an entire familys name was changed by one clerk especially one at ellis island is not supported by historical research and analysis. And that a recent new yorker story october 9 detailed how tv personality rachel maddows family originally medvedyev received their new name from an. Ellis island is a historical site that opened in 1892 as an immigration station, a purpose it served for more than 60 years until it closed in 1954. Today there are millions of descendants of immigrants to the us who firmly believe this myth and, despite the best and. Ellis island database, history, immigrants and lists. The text has a lot of valuable information about ellis island for anyone of any age. Once you find a name of interest, you can click through.
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