Ever wonder where your family comes from? Sometimes it isn’t easy to trace back the lineage of immigrants because there are not many records kept. You may have read about the various ways people can find out more about their family history. People who don’t know much about their European ancestry may think they need to buy a DNA test to learn about their origins. While it is true that DNA tests are one way you can learn about your heritage, there are other ways you can do it.
Here are some suggestions for learning more about your European ancestry without having to get an expensive DNA test done:
Use Family Stories to Guide You
If you don’t know where your ancestors came from, find out if family stories might help you learn more. For instance, some people might remember their grandparents talking about the arduous journey they made to America at a young age. This could be a clue that your ancestor was an immigrant, and it’s possible that their parents immigrated as well.
The first Irish-Catholic President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, famously said that he was reminded of his Irish ancestry every St. Patrick’s Day. Hence, JFK’s Celtic roots go back four generations in his lineage to the arrival of an Irish ancestor in New York. He believed that being reminded of their journey to America helped the first-generation immigrants stay connected to their roots.
Discover Where Your Ancestor Came From
The first step you need to take is to discover where your ancestors came from. You can start by looking into the names of your relatives, if possible. If you know that your great-grandfather immigrated from Italy, for example, it will be helpful to learn more about immigration coming out of Italy. One way to do this is through newspapers published during his time.
There are many websites devoted to digitizing newspapers so that people can use them for research purposes. Then expand your search to other countries if you think your ancestors immigrated from other places. If you don’t know where they came from, focus on the area of Europe and narrow it down to a country and period.
Use Family Names to Guide You
Another way of learning where your ancestor came from is to look at the family names associated with them. You may assume that these are English or German names, but maybe they were passed down because of an immigrant ancestor.
For example, some people whose ancestors immigrated over might have their last name changed in record books because it was difficult for clerks to spell or pronounce when they arrived in America. It could be helpful to research common family names in the area your ancestor was living when they immigrated here to see if they’re listed anywhere else in the records.
Look At Census Records
Census records are another excellent resource for learning about immigrants and how long they lived in America before heading back to Europe. It’s worth looking at the census every ten years because some immigrants decided to go back after settling here for a certain amount of time. For example, someone who immigrated in 1870 might decide to move back home after only ten years in America because their children were already grown up and he wanted to retire.
You can look for this type of information by searching the internet for your ancestor’s name with phrases like “census” and “moved.” Try making a spreadsheet that tells you which census records you’ve found them on so it will be easier to keep track of the information later on.
Look Into Your Descendant’s Occupation
While it will be tough to learn about your ancestors’ occupation because they probably wouldn’t have been listed as such on any official documents, there are other ways that you can get information about this aspect of their lives.
In some cases, people may discuss their occupation and give insight into daily life for those who lived during that period. In other cases, you will need to search for records that might help you determine what they did to earn money. For example, if your ancestors were farmers, likely, the only job they had besides working on their land was as a farmer as well. You can look through agricultural census records or tax records to find this information.
Learning about one’s family history is a rewarding process with many benefits. You’ll be able to bond more closely with relatives, discover hidden talents you might have inherited from your ancestor, and become more aware of what life was like for immigrants who lived in Europe before coming to America. There are many different ways to find this information, but you should find that family stories will play a big part in helping you learn more.