New York Genealogy Resources
Updated
New York was the front door for millions of immigrants, and its records are some of the richest in the country. New York City and New York State keep separate records, so knowing which one your family lived in matters.
- New York State took its own census every ten years from 1825 to 1925. They fill the gaps between federal censuses and often list more detail.
- Statewide birth and death registration began in 1880. New York City kept its own vital records much earlier, and they are held by the city, not the state.
- Most Ellis Island arrivals (1892–1954) are searchable for free through the Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Foundation.
Start with the big two
FamilySearch
The largest free genealogy site in the world, run as a nonprofit by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A free account is all you need.
- Billions of names in historical records, many with images of the originals
- One shared, free Family Tree that relatives can build together
- The Research Wiki: how-to guides for every state and country
- Free help at thousands of FamilySearch Centers and the library in Salt Lake City
Ancestry
The biggest subscription site, with billions of records, helpful “hints,” and the largest consumer DNA database (AncestryDNA).
- Building a family tree is free; searching most records needs a subscription or free trial
- Strong U.S. census, military, immigration and newspaper collections
- Also owns Newspapers.com, Fold3 and Find a Grave
- Many public libraries offer Ancestry Library Edition free on site
State resources
FamilySearch Research Wiki: New York
The best free overview of New York records: what exists, which years, and where to find each one online or in person.
New York State Archives
State census records, military service records and other state government records.
NYS Department of Health: Vital Records
Order birth, death and marriage records for places outside New York City.
NYC Municipal Archives: Genealogy
Historical birth, death and marriage records for the five boroughs, many viewable online.
Ellis Island Passenger Search
Search ship manifests for arrivals at the Port of New York, with images of the original lists.
Old Fulton NY Post Cards
A one-person project with tens of millions of scanned newspaper pages, mostly from New York. Odd name, incredible resource.
Searching for an immigrant ancestor? Find them in the 1900–1930 censuses first. Those censuses ask the year of immigration, which narrows your passenger list search.
Looking for another state? See Genealogy Resources by State.