Daily AncestorPa
Pa in the citizenship column of the 1900 to 1920 census means first papers: the immigrant had declared intent to become a citizen.
In the 1900, 1910 and 1920 censuses, Pa (for papers) means the foreign-born person had filed a declaration of intention, the first papers, but was not yet a citizen.
Do not read it as Pennsylvania. Pa. in a birthplace column is the state; Pa in the citizenship column is the papers code. A Pa entry points you to a declaration of intention in a local court.
As seen in a recordCitizenship columns of the 1910 census
Born Italy, immig. 1904, Pa
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Pa." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations/census-pa. Last checked 2026-10-01.