Italy
Basilicata
Potenza
Melfi is a comune in the provincia of Potenza, Basilicata with a population of 16,961 as of 2025. Between 1830 and 1912, at least 2,116 passengers departing from Melfi arrived in the United States.
Contact
To request vital records from the anagrafe (records office), write to the PEC address or email below. Include the full name, approximate date, and record type in Italian.
Map
Località
Each Italian comune is divided into località (localities), which include centri abitati (populated centers) and nuclei abitati (smaller settlements).
Centri abitati
AltitudePopulation- Melfi538m12,238
- Foggiano430m243
- Leonessa252m6
Nuclei abitati
AltitudePopulation- Zona 179540m3,187
- San Giorgio543m80
- Foggianello536m38
- San Nicola188m30
- Villaggio Piaggio173m8
Population and Migration
This chart shows annual resident population, US arrivals (1830 to 1912), and international migration (2001 to present). Not all data is available for every period, so gaps are normal.
The population has grown 72% since 1861. Recorded US arrivals from Melfi between 1830 and 1912 equal 12% of its current population, peaking in 1906. Since 2001, net international immigration has added the equivalent of 8% of the current population.
Total US arrivals
2k
1830–1912
Peak year
1906
328 arrivals
Cittadinanza per discendenza
Could a line from Melfi qualify for Italian citizenship?
Between 1830 and 1912, at least 2,116 passengers from Melfi arrived in the United States. Arrivals peaked in 1906. If one of them is your ancestor, Italy may recognize you as a citizen under jure sanguinis (citizenship by descent).
The birthplace alone does not decide it. Each generation between that ancestor and you does: who naturalized, and when. Since the 2025 law, the number of generations matters too.
The checker goes back through your line one generation at a time. It is not legal advice, and it does not search for records.
Check your lineItalian-born ancestor
Your ancestor from Melfi
Born in Melfi (PZ), Italy
Each generation between
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Top Emigrant Cognomi
Most common cognomi (family names) among emigrants from Melfi recorded in US arrivals, 1830 to 1912.
Notable People
People born in Melfi.