Italian American Family

Discover Your Italian Ancestry in Italian-American Newspapers

Are you one of the 18 million Americans with Italian roots? Trace your Italian family history using popular Italian-language newspapers and historical publications to uncover the stories of your family’s past today.

Find Italian genealogy records from across the U.S. including:

  • Popular Italian American newspapers
  • Obituaries
  • Marriage Records
  • Birth Records
  • U.S. Military Records
  • Photos & more

Start your Italian ancestry search by entering an ancestor's name below.

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Uncover Your Italian Genealogy Records

Reconnect with your Italian American heritage and discover how their journey led from the old country to where you are now. With GenealogyBank, you can search for Italian immigration records and newspaper entries to learn more about where you came from and who you are.

Our platform takes only minutes to use and enables you to search through newspapers dating back to the early 19th century. More than 90% of our records cannot be found anywhere else. Plus, we even have access to special-interest newspapers, making it even simpler to find your Italian ancestors.

Sign up now to begin researching your Italian family history.

Search popular Italian American newspapers dating back to 1884.

Italian Genealogy Records Found in Newspapers

Trace your Italian ancestry back to the early immigrants with GenealogyBank’s collection of historic Italian-American newspapers dating back to 1884. Find family photos, birth notices, old Italian wedding announcements, local news stories, and more. Plus use the Passenger Lists published in newspapers find your ancestor’s early Italian immigration records. Discover the stories and the day-to-day lives of your Italian ancestors published in popular Italian American newspapers including:

Why Use Newspapers for Italian Ancestry Research?

Newspapers go further than government Italian genealogy records. Previously, a newspaper was the printed town square of a community, with many early newspapers even being published in Italian. These vital Italian ancestry records are a window into the past.

If you’re beginning to launch your genealogical research, you can begin your search with nothing more than a name and a location. Our newspapers date back to 1810 and include precious records from Italian immigrant hubs like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Rhode Island, and Pittsburgh.

From the 1880s onward, Italian immigration boomed, meaning many newspapers included classifieds inviting relatives to meet up, information on the Italy they’d left behind, and affairs centering on the Italian community. In other words, these resources aren’t just about your ancestors but the world they lived in.

How to Search Italian Newspapers Online

Wondering how to find Italian ancestors?

First, begin with a known ancestor. You need nothing more than a name and a rough period in which they lived. Ideally, you will also have a basic idea of the state or county they lived in to narrow your search further.

If you’re ready to begin exploring Italian genealogy records online, follow these five steps: Read more

  • Step One – Enter the first and last name of your relative. It can help to have a middle name to enhance your search. Note that some records may use initials.
  • Step Two – Include relevant keywords based on what you know, such as the city they lived in or the school they attended.
  • Step Three – Exclude keywords you know are unrelated to your family tree. This will prevent you from uncovering archives and events you know are irrelevant to your ancestor.
  • Step Four – Include a year range. Our newspapers cover 150 years, so if you have a common name, this can make tracking down your specific ancestor challenging.
  • Step Five – Change your sorting options to get different results in your ancestry search. By default, results are published by “Best Match,” but you can also order by oldest and newest.

Remember, it can take a few tries to find your ancestors, so don’t be afraid to enter common misspellings or search for another ancestor first if it is particularly challenging to find information online.

Italian Immigration to the U.S.

The majority of Italian immigrants arrived in the U.S. between 1880 and 1920. Most immigrants stayed in the northeast after arriving on Ellis Island and settled in heavily populated Italian areas. Many of these communities become known as “Little Italy” where immigrants maintained Italian traditions. With GenealogyBank you can learn what life was like your ancestors building a new life for themselves in America. Learn how these experiences defined your Italian family history.

Italian Ancestry Records FAQs

How can I trace my Italian heritage?

A practical approach to tracing your family history is to start with what you already know and work your way back from there. Begin by focusing on your grandparents and great-grandparents, as we usually have more information about these individuals. Utilize online resources to search for their records and gather relevant details. Then, proceed to work backward in time by exploring census and newspaper records, which often provide valuable insights and serve as a straightforward method for tracing ancestral lineage.

Note that your Italian genealogy search will end when your ancestors first came to America. From there, you’ll need to use Italian records to trace your family further.

Where can I find Italian census records?

Unfortunately, the first Italian census was only taken in 1871, when the modern Italian state was formed. From 1871 to 1901, these civil documents were incomplete and typically only contained a list of each head of household, his occupation, and the number of people in the house.

For this reason, if tracing your family back to Italy, you’ll need to rely on regional records. In this case, you’ll likely need to visit in person and hire someone who speaks Italian.

How far back do Italian genealogy records go?

Despite the limited availability of census records maintained by the central Italian government, a valuable alternative lies in the extensive records held by the Catholic Church. For centuries, the Church has diligently recorded births, deaths, and marriages for the majority of Italians, with documentation dating back to the early 1600s.

It is worth noting, though, that these invaluable records are often not digitized and necessitate a visit to the respective parish in order to access them. In-person exploration of the relevant parish remains crucial for delving into these historical records and uncovering the rich ancestral history of Italian individuals and families.


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