United States

If an exact place of origin in Europe is unknown, research probably will need to begin with U.S. or Canadian sources. Passenger lists for most American ports are available through the mid-Twentieth Century, and generally are indexed.

Emigrant lists for the Port of Hamburg, Germany are available from 1850-1934, and usually provide the last residence of each passenger.

In addition, naturalization, military, census, church, vital, and other records can be used to establish European origins. These types of sources are available for many locations in the United States.

Canada

For Canadian residents, there are Province-wide civil registration collections for Ontario and New Brunswick, as well as census, church, and other types of records for most Provinces.

If your ancestor travelled from Canada to the U.S. (even for a visit) during the period 1895-1954, the Canadian Border Crossings can provide an exact place of birth for that person.