Naturalization and Name change

[twingles]

Originally Posted by michgc

This is not related to the OP's question, to which I do not know the answer. But as a genealogist, I have to set the record straight. NO NAMES WERE CHANGED AT ELLIS ISLAND or any other port of entry. When people bought steamship tickets to America, a boarding ticket with your name on it was created and then a passsenger manifest with the names of everyone on the ship sailing at that day and time. Each passenger had a tag with their name on it.

When arriving at Ellis Island (or any other port), the officers there simply checked off your name that you had arrived. They had no authority to change your name. There were no new forms filled out. There were no computer databases to enter a new name. There was no ID that people were given or had to use in the US. In fact, there were no official US name change procedures during most of the peak immigration period.

If Leibe Rosenzweig in 1908 wanted to become Louis Rose, then at any point after arriving in the US, he could simply start using the name Louis Rose. There was nothing to check against. Many did change their names that way. Others simply mentioned it if and when they were naturalized. The form would say "what was the name you traveled to the US under?" And what name do you go by now?

Sorry for the lecteure, but this is a sore point among many genealogists and we feel it is our place to correct this "Ellis Island name change" myth which has sort of taken on a life of its own (maybe because they mistakenly said this in The Godfather?)

https://www.nypl.org/blog/2013/07/02...s-ellis-island

Anyway OP, good luck with your name change and your soon-to-be new citizenship. Congratuations!

People always tell us our name was "O'XXXXXX" in Ireland and it wasn't. We have my grandfather's baptismal certificate (the equivalent of a birth certificate in that time and place) and it's just our last name, no "O". Maybe it was "O'XXXXXXX" at one time but if it was, the O was dropped in Ireland.

[DeepImpact]

Originally Posted by michgc

This is not related to the OP's question, to which I do not know the answer. But as a genealogist, I have to set the record straight. NO NAMES WERE CHANGED AT ELLIS ISLAND or any other port of entry. When people bought steamship tickets to America, a boarding ticket with your name on it was created and then a passsenger manifest with the names of everyone on the ship sailing at that day and time. Each passenger had a tag with their name on it.

When arriving at Ellis Island (or any other port), the officers there simply checked off your name that you had arrived. They had no authority to change your name. There were no new forms filled out. There were no computer databases to enter a new name. There was no ID that people were given or had to use in the US. In fact, there were no official US name change procedures during most of the peak immigration period.

If Leibe Rosenzweig in 1908 wanted to become Louis Rose, then at any point after arriving in the US, he could simply start using the name Louis Rose. There was nothing to check against. Many did change their names that way. Others simply mentioned it if and when they were naturalized. The form would say "what was the name you traveled to the US under?" And what name do you go by now?

Sorry for the lecteure, but this is a sore point among many genealogists and we feel it is our place to correct this "Ellis Island name change" myth which has sort of taken on a life of its own (maybe because they mistakenly said this in The Godfather?)

https://www.nypl.org/blog/2013/07/02...s-ellis-island

Anyway OP, good luck with your name change and your soon-to-be new citizenship. Congratuations!

What if he'd won his ticket in a poker game with some dude named "Sven Gunderson"?