UpFront with NGS: Ellis Island

Showing posts with label Ellis Island. Show all posts

16 April 2024

Join our Culture Conversation with Megan Smolenyak, A Genealogical Adventurer and Storyteller Solving Mysteries!

Join us for a captivating conversation with Megan Smolenyak, a renowned genealogical adventurer, storyteller, and expert in pushing the boundaries of conventional genealogy.

Megan Smolenyak is a name that resonates across the genealogical community. As a popular writer, speaker, and TV guest, her expertise has been featured on prestigious shows like Good Morning America, the Today Show, CNN, and the BBC. Megan's passion for solving mysteries and making unexpected discoveries has taken her on remarkable adventures that have reshaped history and provided invaluable insights into the backgrounds of notable individuals.

Megan's expertise has led her to unravel fascinating stories and genealogical mysteries. From tracing Michelle Obama's roots showcased on The New York Times' front page, to revealing the true Annie Moore, the first immigrant through Ellis Island, Megan's discoveries have captivated the world. Learn about her incredible journey in correcting history and unraveling the roots of notable individuals like Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and many more.

Megan's work isn't limited to historical figures. She has delved into the ancestry of well-known celebrities, shedding light on their roots and fascinating connections. From Martha Stewart to Lin-Manuel Miranda, Katy Perry to Prince, Megan's expertise has uncovered surprising genealogical links that demonstrate how we are all connected in unexpected ways.

22 May 2024 8:00 p.m. ET

Registration

Join us for an exciting exploration of the world of genealogy with Megan Smolenyak. Don't miss out on this chance to witness her passion, uncover hidden stories, and learn from a true expert in the field. Spaces are limited, so be sure to secure your spot now!

10 July 2013

Ellis Island -- Names were NOT changed! A very persistent myth perpetuated in our genealogical world ...

There are always persistent stories about names being changed at Ellis Island.

These are mostly just that, stories. The New York Public Library did a great post called Why Your Family Name Was Not Changed at Ellis Island (and One That Was) which goes into great detail about the process at Ellis Island. Essentially, documentation about the naming of emigrants was NOT created at Ellis Island, it was create in the embarkation port or on board ship. The article also goes into great detail about “1” person whose name was changed.

That said, many emigrants DID change their name shortly after arriving! My own paternal family arrived as Kujanpää (pronounced Gui ump a) and within a year they were Acey (pronounced Ace ee) – maybe they thought the new surname was easier??!?! That falls into the number one question I would ask my great-great grandfather – why did you change the name from Kujanpää to Acey – a not very common, often misspelled and mispronounced surname?

Read more about this very common myth:

Dispelling the Myth of Ellis Island Name Changes (About.com)
No, Family Names Were Not Changed at Ellis Island (EOGN)
They Changed Our Name at Ellis Island (Genealogy.com)

Editor’s Note: Previous Upfront with NGS article on this topic, Ellis Island Name Change Rumors Persist.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

15 June 2012

Ellis Island Name Change Rumors Persist

Source: http://www.nyc-architecture.com/LM/Ellis_island(1).jpg

Betty Lou Malesky recently wrote for the Green Valley News and Sun ...

“The main character, Ciro Lazarri, passed through Ellis Island on his way from Italy. The immigration officer presented him with a list of names and suggested he select one for his American surname. They included Smith, Brown, Jones, Hill and other simple English names, but the inspector suggested changing his surname to Lewis since his Italian surname started with an “L.” Wisely, Ciro refused to change.

This Ellis Island rumor just won’t die, and it’s sad to see it encouraged, even in fiction. Genealogists will readily agree no immigrant had his name changed at Ellis Island; certainly there is no documented evidence of it...”

Read the full article.

Editor’s Note: I can tell you that in my family, though their name was NOT changed at Ellis Island they did change it within the 1^st year of arriving in the US. They emigrated as Kujanpää from Finland in 1900 and with the birth of their youngest daughter in 1901 the surname became Acey! No one can accuse my ancestors of choosing an American name or even a translation of their Finnish name!

Did your emigrant ancestors change their name soon after arriving?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com