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Roberts Family History

Roberts Surname Meaning

English: from the personal name Robert with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. This surname is also occasionally borne by Jews presumably as an Americanized form of some similar (like-sounding) Jewish surname.

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


Similar surnames: Robert, Mcroberts, Roberto, Robertson, Gobert, Roberti, Rewerts

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Roberts family from?

You can see how Roberts families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Roberts family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Roberts families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 600 Roberts families living in New York. This was about 13% of all the recorded Roberts's in USA. New York had the highest population of Roberts families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Roberts surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Roberts ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Roberts. 15% of Roberts men worked as a Farmer and 6% of Roberts women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Roberts were Truck Driver and Maid. .

View Census Data for Roberts | 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
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

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

What Roberts family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3 million census records available for the last name Roberts. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Roberts census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Roberts

Passenger Lists

There are 576,000 immigration records available for the last name Roberts. 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 Roberts immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 446,000 military records available for the last name Roberts. For the veterans among your Roberts ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Roberts family history

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What is the average Roberts lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Roberts life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Roberts in 1940 was 40, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Roberts

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