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Anderson Family History

Anderson Surname Meaning

Scottish and northern English: patronymic from the personal name Ander(s) a northern Middle English form of Andrew + son ‘son’. The frequency of the surname in Scotland is attributable at least in part to the fact that Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland so the personal name has long enjoyed great popularity there. Legend has it that the saint's relics were taken to Scotland in the 4th century by a certain Saint Regulus. In North America this surname has absorbed many cognate or like-sounding surnames in other languages notably Scandinavian (see 3 and 4 below) but also Ukrainian Andreychenko etc. German: patronymic from the personal name Anders hence a cognate of 1 above. Americanized form (and a less common Swedish variant) of Swedish Andersson a cognate of 1 above. Americanized form of Norwegian Danish and North German Andersen or Anderssen cognates of 1 above.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Enderson, Andersen, Andersson, Alderson, Sanderson, Anderton

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Where is the Anderson family from?

You can see how Anderson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Anderson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Anderson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 666 Anderson families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 12% of all the recorded Anderson's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Anderson families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Anderson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Anderson ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Anderson. 15% of Anderson men worked as a Farmer and 7% of Anderson women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Anderson were Carpenter and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Anderson | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    15%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    7%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Stenographer
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Anderson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4 million census records available for the last name Anderson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Anderson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 1 million immigration records available for the last name Anderson. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 776,000 military records available for the last name Anderson. For the veterans among your Anderson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Anderson lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Anderson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Anderson in 1940 was 40, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Anderson

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