Andy Prior gives us the complete linguistic and legal history of the term “natural born citizen.”
There are three requirements for Article II, Constitutional “natural-born” citizenship status:
1) Born in the country
2) Born to a mother who is a citizen of the country
3) Born to a father who is a citizen of the country
Anyone with all three in place at the exact moment of their birth is a “natural-born citizen” in the most complete sense.
However, if just one is missing then they are citizens at birth, or naturalized citizens depending upon the circumstances, but can never change the circumstances of their birth to make themselves a “natural-born citizen”.
It is long, and maybe complicated for some, but worth the read and important to help inform the “natural born citizen” debate. Read Prior’s Medium Post.