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Austin Family History

Austin Surname Meaning

English French and German: from the personal name Austin from Latin Augustinus a derivative of Augustus (see Augustin ). This was an extremely common personal name in every part of Western Europe during the Middle Ages owing its popularity chiefly to Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430) whose influence on Christianity is generally considered to be second only to that of Saint Paul. Various religious orders came to be formed following rules named in his honor including the ‘Austin canons’ established in the 11th century and the ‘Austin friars’ a mendicant order dating from the 13th century. The popularity of the personal name in England was further increased by the fact that it was borne by Saint Augustine of Canterbury (died c. 605) an Italian Benedictine monk known as ‘the Apostle of the English’ who brought Christianity to southern England in 597 and founded the see of Canterbury. English: variant of Aspden with which this surname became confused.

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


Similar surnames: Austen, Justin, Dustin, Autin, Gustin, Agustin, Alston, Astin, Aubin

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Where is the Austin family from?

You can see how Austin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Austin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Austin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 552 Austin families living in New York. This was about 29% of all the recorded Austin's in USA. New York had the highest population of Austin families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Austin surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Austin ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Austin. 17% of Austin men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Austin women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Austin were Truck Driver and Cook. .

View Census Data for Austin | 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

  • Laborer
    17%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Cook
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Austin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 854,000 census records available for the last name Austin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Austin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Austin

Passenger Lists

There are 71,000 immigration records available for the last name Austin. 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 132,000 military records available for the last name Austin. For the veterans among your Austin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Austin lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Austin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Austin in 1940 was 45, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Austin

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