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Fisher Family History

Fisher Surname Meaning

English: occupational name for a fisherman from Middle English fis(sc)her(e) ‘fisherman’ (Old English fiscere). In North America this surname has absorbed cognates from many other languages including German Fischer and its Slavic(ized) variant Fišer (see Fiser ) Dutch Visser Hungarian Halász (see Halasz ) Italian Pescatore Slovenian Ribič (see Ribic ) and Croatian Ribić or Ribar . English: in a few cases possibly a topographic name for someone who lived near a fish weir on a river from Middle English fis(sc)hwere fisshyar ‘fish weir’ (Old English fiscwer fiscgear) or a habitational name from a place so named such as Fisher in North Mundham Sussex. Irish: translation into English of Gaelic Ó Bradáin ‘descendant of Bradán’ a personal name meaning ‘salmon’. See Braden . Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a fisherman Yiddish fisher (from German Fischer). Americanized form (mistranslation into English) of French Poissant meaning ‘powerful strong vigorous’ but understood as poisson ‘fish’ and assimilated to the more frequent English name. Americanized form (translation into English) of French Poisson ‘fish’ and assimilated to the more frequent English name.7: Native American (Cheyenne): from a mistranslation into English of the Cheyenne personal name Noma'heškeso ‘Little Fish’ from a diminutive of noma'he ‘fish’.

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


Similar surnames: Fishel, Risher, Usher, Fischer, Disher, Fister, Fish, Fiser, Filer

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Where is the Fisher family from?

You can see how Fisher families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fisher family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fisher families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 718 Fisher families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 20% of all the recorded Fisher's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Fisher families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fisher surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Fisher ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Fisher. 13% of Fisher men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Fisher women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fisher were Truck Driver and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Fisher | 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
    13%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    7%
  • Maid
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Stenographer
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Fisher family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Fisher. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fisher 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 196,000 immigration records available for the last name Fisher. 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 259,000 military records available for the last name Fisher. For the veterans among your Fisher ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Fisher lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Fisher life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Fisher in 1940 was 47, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fisher

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