New York

New York State, also known as the Empire State, is a vibrant and diverse region in the northeastern United States. As of 2024, New York is the fourth most populous state in the U.S., with an estimated population of approximately 19.47 million people.^[1] New York City has the distinction of being the largest city in the United States with 18.1 million people and according to the 2020 United States Federal Census, the New York Metropolitan Area is the home to 20.1 million residents.^[2]

Between 1892 and 1954, more than 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island to start a new life in the United States. The state is a cultural melting pot and the global hub for finance, commerce, and culture. It is also home to the United Nations.

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History of New York State

For thousands of years, the area now known as New York was inhabited by Algonquian and Iroquois Confederacy Native American tribes. The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) created the Great Law of Peace, which influenced America’s Founding Fathers and even the U.S. Constitution.^[3] The first European to explore the East Coast of what was to become New York, was Giovanni da Verrazano in 1542 when he landed in New York Bay. His explorations were significant but didn’t lead to immediate colonization or sustained interest in the region.^[4] The English became more active in exploration in the 16^th and 17^th Centuries. The Englishman, Henry Hudson, sailed in 1609 and 1610 and became the namesake of the Hudson Bay and the Hudson River.^[4]

The earliest European settlement in what would become New York State was Fort Nassau, established by the Dutch in 1614. This fort was located near present-day Albany. It marked the first permanent Dutch settlement in North America. Later, it was replaced by nearby Fort Orange in 1623.^[5] In 1624, the Dutch West India Company established a trading post at the southern tip of Manhattan Island. This settlement was named New Amsterdam and served as the nucleus of European presence in the region. In 1664, the English seized control of the area during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The city was renamed New York in honor of the Duke of York (later King James II).

New York was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that formed the United States and played an important part in the American Revolution and became the 11^th state on July 26, 1788.^[6] The New York State government is a complex system that encompasses the administrative, legislative, and judicial branches.^[7]

Demographics of New York State

The racial and ethnic composition of New York is rich and varied:^[8]

White alone: Approximately 10.41 million people identify as White alone.
Hispanic or Latino (of any race): Around 3.87 million individuals have Hispanic or Latino origins.
Black or African American alone: About 2.63 million people identify as Black or African American.
Asian alone: There are approximately 1.78 million Asian residents.
Two or more races: Around 732,670 individuals have mixed racial backgrounds.

Some other race alone: Approximately 216,110 people belong to other racial categories.
American Indian and Alaska Native alone: About 88,616 individuals identify as Native American.
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone: There are approximately 1,911 residents from Pacific Islander backgrounds.

Most common surnames in New York State

One list of the ten most common surnames in New York State is as follows:^[9]

These surnames illustrate the diversity of the New York population. The lists of the most common surnames in New York state vary from website to website.

Researching family history in the State of New York

New York has an active genealogical community with the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society offering extensive resources for researching family history across the state. The New York State Archives in Albany, New York makes available over 270 million records from New York’s colonial and state governments, dating from 1630 to the present.^[10] Other major collections of genealogically valuable records are available in New York Public Library^[11] and the New York State Library.^[12] New York also has 425 colleges and universities with their own collections of documents and other resources.

New York State county list


Albany County	Hamilton County	Rensselaer County
Allegany County	Herkimer County	Richmond County (Staten Island)
Bronx County	Jefferson County	Rockland County
Bronx County	Kings County (Brooklyn)	Saint Lawrence County
Cattaraugus County	Lewis County	Saratoga County
Cayuga County	Livingston County	Schenectady County
Chautauqua County	Madison County	Schoharie County
Chautauqua County	Monroe County	Schuyler County
Chemung County	Montgomery County	Seneca County
Chenango County	Nassau County	Steuben County
Clinton County	New York County (Manhattan)	Suffolk County
Columbia County	Niagara County	Sullivan County
Cortland County	Oneida County	Tioga County
Delaware County	Onondaga County	Tompkins County
Dutchess County	Ontario County	Ulster County
Erie County	Orange County	Warren County
Essex County	Orleans County	Washington County
Franklin County	Oswego County	Wayne County
Fulton County	Otsego County	Westchester County
Genesee County	Putnam County	Wyoming County
Greene County	Queens County	Yates County

Explore more about New York State

MyHeritage has a vast collection of genealogically important New York documents and records consisting of 296 collections and 208,988,100 records. Some of the largest collections include the New York Castle Garden Immigrants, New York marriage, birth, and death records, and New York newspapers. The New York - Collection Catalog includes other collections in different categories like military and other government records.
Additional newspapers may also be available on the MyHeritage OldNews.com website.

References

[1] US States - Ranked by Population 2024

[2] METROPOLITAN GROWTH: 2020 CENSUS

[3] New York - Native American Tribes, Immigration & the Harlem Renaissance. History Channel

[verrazzano-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Giovanni Da Verrazzano - Ages of Exploration

[5] Fort Orange. Historical Marker Database

[6] The New York State Constitution, Birth of a State and of a Nation

[7] The Official Website of New York State

[8] New York Population by Race and Ethnicity U.S. 2022. Statista

[9] Most Common Surnames in New York, With Meanings

[10] New York State Archives

[11] The New York Public Library

[12] Home Page: NYS Library

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