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Maryland Naturalization Indexes - FamilySearch Historical Records

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Maryland Naturalization Indexes, 1797-1951
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This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org.
Maryland,
United States
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Record Description
Record Type Naturalization Indexes
Record Group RG 21: Records of District Courts of the United States
Collection years 1797-1951
Microfilm Publication M1168. Indexes to Naturalization Petitions to the U.S. Circuit and District Courts for Maryland, 1797-1951. 25 rolls.
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What is in This Collection?

The collection consists of six separate alphabetic indexes to naturalization petitions filed in the U.S. Circuit and District courts of Maryland from 1797 to 1951. Each index comprises a specific time period.

  • Rolls 1 -18, 1797-1906
  • Roll 18, Oct 1906-Apr 1915, Apr 1915-Apr 1920, Apr 1920-Oct 1925
  • Rolls 18-24, Nov 1925-Dec 1951
  • Rolls 24-25, An index to aliens who joined the U.S. military between May 1918 and Apr 1923.

The collection corresponds to NARA M1168. Index courtesy of Fold3 (previously Footnote.com).

The actual naturalization volumes vary in size and format. Prior to 1906 each document was usually handwritten on one page. From the late 1800s and on, printed forms were used. After 1906, many entries were typewritten. While there were various types of naturalization records, the Declaration of Intent and Naturalization Petition usually had the most complete genealogical information. The first naturalization act was passed in 1802. Immigrants to the United States were not required to apply for citizenship. Of those who did apply, many did not complete the requirements for citizenship.

Naturalization to become a U.S. citizen was a two-part process: the Declaration of Intent to Naturalize, or First Papers, and the Naturalization Record (including the Naturalization Petition), or Final Papers. The First Papers were normally filed five years before the Final Papers because of the five-year residency requirement to become a citizen. No centralized files existed before 1906. In 1906 federal forms replaced the various formats that had been used by the various courts. Copies were sent to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), creating a central file for naturalization papers. The INS is now known as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Naturalization records are generally well preserved, but some records may have been lost to fire or other disasters.

Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. New York’s counties recorded naturalization procedures in the court records as legal proof of citizenship. The courts handling naturalizations changed several times so the card index was created as a way to quickly access specific records.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Index and Image Visibility

Whenever possible FamilySearch makes images and indexes available for all users. However, rights to view these data are limited by contract and subject to change. Because of this there may be limitations on where and how images and indexes are available or who can see them. Please be aware some collections consist only of partial information indexed from the records and do not contain any images. For additional information about image restrictions see Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in this record:

  • Petition number
  • Date of petition
  • Volume and page number of the petition
  • Declaration number
  • Date of declaration
  • Volume and page number of the declaration
  • Certification number
  • Date of issuance

Collection Content

Inventory

Film DGS Roll Collection
1380472 7786880 1 1797-1906 Aansen, Christian Frederick - Bercoff, Harry
1380473 7786881 2 1797-1906 Berdlein, John - Buckheidt, Peter
1380474 7786882 3 1797-1906 Buckheimer, John - Cunningham, Arthur B.
1380475 7786883 4 1797-1906 Cunningham, Arthur B - Emer, Antone
1380476 7786884 5 1797-1906 Emerick, Andrew - Garrett, Joseph
1380477 4145879 6 1797-1906 Garrett, Robert - Hanitsch, Adam A
1380478 7786885 7 1797-1906 Hanitsch, Werner - Holmes, Guyllyn Robert
1380479 7786886 8 1797-1906 Holmes, Gwyllym Robert - Kerr, William
1380480 7787154 9 1797-1906 Kerr, William - Lauster, George
1380481 7787153 10 1797-1906 Lauster, George - McAllister, George (Mac, Mc are filed as spelled)
1380482 7787152 11 1797-1906 McAllister, James - Monpat, Antonio
1380483 7791786 12 1797-1906 Monpatt, Antonie - Passano, Joseph
1380484 7787159 13 1797-1906 Passano, Joseph - Rinderle, Franz
1380485 7787158 14 1797-1906 Rindsberg, Abraham - Schmidt, George
1380486 7787157 15 1797-1906 Schmidt, George - Smith, Samuel
1380487 7787156 16 1797-1951 Smith, Samuel - Troje, John
1380488 7787155 17 1797-1906 Trombelta, Pasquale - White, Joseph
1380489 7755664 18 1797-1906 White, Joseph - Zyliez, Frank 1906-1915 A - Z 1915-1920 A - Z 1920-1925 A - Z 1926-1951 Aaber, Anders Evold - Azzolini, Isabella
1380490 7787151 19 1926-1951 Baars, Charlotte Elizabeth - Dhotre, Damoo Gagaram
1380491 7787150 20 1926-1951 Diachenko, Polly - Helmis, George Nicholas
1380492 7787149 21 1926-1951 Helzner, Anne - Lukitsh, Mathias
1380493 7787148 22 1926-1951 Lukowski, John - Pozzuoli, Maria
1380494 7787147 23 1926-1951 Pradich, Veronica Mary - Steinberg, Henry
1380495 7787146 24 1926-1951 Steinberg, Irvin - Yuskewicz, Vincenta 1918-1923 (Military World War I) Abato, Nicola - Cuzzolin, Angelo Charles
1380496 7787145 25 1918-1923 (Military World War I) Dachino, Leonardo - Zwalorwosky, Walter
1570422 7795656 Another copy. 1797-1906 Smith, Samuel - Troje, John

How Do I Search This Collection?

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

  • The name of your ancestor
  • The approximate date and place of naturalization

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.

Search the Index

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.
  1. Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
  2. Click Search to show possible matches


Tip
 More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog Maryland, Naturalization Indexes : 1797-1951. Some catalog records link to multiple references. In this case, click on a reference to find a camera icon to see 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?

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, and 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
  • Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
  • Learn the place of origin and find vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death
  • Search for military, land and probate records
  • Use the information to find additional family members in census records
  • Search for church records

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

  • Try viewing the original record. Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
  • If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relatives that can be verified by records
  • If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search
  • Try variant spellings of your ancestor’s name
  • Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps

The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Maryland.

Other FamilySearch Collections

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

FamilySearch Catalog

  • Newman, John J. American Naturalization Records;1790-1990: what they are and how to use them. Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1998. FS Library book 973 P47na

FamilySearch Historical Records

FamilySearch Digital Library

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:
The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection.
Record Citation:
When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information.
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