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Hamilton Family History

Hamilton Surname Meaning

Scottish and northern Irish: habitational name from what is now a deserted village in the parish of Barkby Leicestershire. This is named from Old English hamel ‘crooked’ + dūn ‘hill’. Hamilton near Glasgow was founded by the English Hamiltons and named after them and later bearers took their surname from the Scottish place. In the north of Ireland where many Hamiltons settled in the 17th century this surname may sometimes have been adopted for Hamill . It has also been adopted as an Anglicized form of southern Irish Ó hUrmholtaigh.

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


Similar surnames: Hambleton, Hilton, Hampton, Halton, Hazelton, Hamill, Dalton

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Hamilton family from?

You can see how Hamilton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hamilton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hamilton families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 384 Hamilton families living in New York. This was about 14% of all the recorded Hamilton's in USA. New York had the highest population of Hamilton families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hamilton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Hamilton ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Hamilton. 15% of Hamilton men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Hamilton women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hamilton were Truck Driver and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Hamilton | 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
    15%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

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

What Hamilton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Hamilton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hamilton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Hamilton

Passenger Lists

There are 261,000 immigration records available for the last name Hamilton. 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 Hamilton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 258,000 military records available for the last name Hamilton. For the veterans among your Hamilton 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 Hamilton family history

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What is the average Hamilton lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Hamilton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Hamilton in 1940 was 42, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hamilton

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