Figlio as Surname

[nagnello]

I have only been searching for my Italian relatives for 6 months or so and enlisted my brothers help. He discovered something I didn't catch, the use of 'figlio' for child under parents names on ship manifests. I looked up 'figlio' on Ellis island and came up with 900 names, mostly all children. Has this error come to the attention of the people who transcribe the records? No wonder I haven't located my great aunts and uncles who came over from Italy as children. Also 'moglie' for wife was used sometimes.

[Italysearcher]

Usually they were travelling with a parent and if it says 'figlio' then it was ether the mother or father. Of course if you don't know the parents names then you are in trouble.

[juanminbar]

in most cases if listed as figlio it would be a son, figlia a daughter.

good luck, j

[Squigy]

Ancestry.com has TONS of these transcription errors (EllisIsland is usually more accurate). In fact, my great grandaunt (Raffaela Fiorillo) who had the word "daughter" next to her name on her immigration record, was transcribed as Raffaela Daugh Furillo on Ancestry.com.