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Norton Family History

Norton Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of the many places so called from Old English north ‘north’ + tūn ‘enclosure settlement’. In some cases it is a variant of Norrington . Irish: altered form of Naughton assimilated to the English name (see 1 above). Jewish (American): adoption of the English surname (see 1 above) in place of some similar (like-sounding) original Ashkenazic surname.

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


Similar surnames: Morton, Orton, Worton, Horton, Lorton, Forton, Gorton, Dorton, Holton

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Norton family from?

You can see how Norton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Norton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Norton families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 437 Norton families living in New York. This was about 27% of all the recorded Norton's in USA. New York had the highest population of Norton families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Norton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Norton ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Norton. 14% of Norton men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Norton women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Norton were Clerk and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Norton | 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
    14%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    8%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Stenographer
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Norton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 577,000 census records available for the last name Norton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Norton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Norton

Passenger Lists

There are 51,000 immigration records available for the last name Norton. 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.

View all Norton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 93,000 military records available for the last name Norton. For the veterans among your Norton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Norton military records

You've only scratched the surface of Norton family history

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What is the average Norton lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Norton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Norton in 1941 was 39, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Norton

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