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Elder Family History

Elder Surname Meaning

Scottish: distinguishing nickname from Middle English and Older Scots elder ‘parent; older senior person’ perhaps in some cases denoting the older of two bearers of the same personal name. It may have been used also to denote an elder of a church a senior and respected member of the congregation. Compare Senior . English: in southeastern England this may be a variant of Helder . Americanized form (translation into English) of German Elter which has the same meaning as 1 above.

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

Similar surnames: Elter, Alder, Helder, Elmer, Ender, Older, Gelder, Eder, Melder

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Where is the Elder family from?

You can see how Elder families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Elder family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Elder families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 112 Elder families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 22% of all the recorded Elder's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Elder families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Elder surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Elder

What did your Elder ancestors do for a living?

View Census Data for Elder | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Farmer
19%
Laborer
15%
Salesman
5%
Clerk
3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Teacher
7%
Stenographer
7%
Housewife
6%
Maid
6%

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What Elder family records will you find?

Census Records
There are 189,000 census records available for the last name Elder. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Elder census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
Search US census records for Elder
Passenger Lists
There are 22,000 immigration records available for the last name Elder. 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 Elder immigration records
Draft Cards
There are 34,000 military records available for the last name Elder. For the veterans among your Elder ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.
View all Elder military records

Census Records

There are 189,000 census records available for the last name Elder. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Elder census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Elder

Passenger Lists

There are 22,000 immigration records available for the last name Elder. 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 Elder immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 34,000 military records available for the last name Elder. For the veterans among your Elder ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Elder military records

You've only scratched the surface of Elder family history

Discover More

What is the average Elder lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Elder life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Elder in 1940 was 61, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Elder

Browse profiles of historical people with the Elder last name