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Alston Family History

Alston Surname Meaning

English and Scottish:: from the Middle English personal name Alstan which is a coalescence of several different Old English personal names: Æthelstān ‘noble stone’ Ælfstān ‘elf stone’ Ealdstān ‘old stone’ or Ealhstān ‘temple stone’. habitational name from any of various places called Alston (in Cumbria Lancashire Devon and Somerset) or Alstone (in Gloucestershire and Staffordshire). With the exception of Alston in Cumbria which is formed with the Old Norse personal name Halfdan these placenames all consist of an Old English personal name + Old English tūn ‘settlement’ for example Ælfsige in the case of Alstone in Gloucestershire.

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


Similar surnames: Alton, Aston, Elston, Elton, Abston, Elson, Dalton, Luton, Walston

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Alston family from?

You can see how Alston families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Alston family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Alston families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 35 Alston families living in North Carolina. This was about 28% of all the recorded Alston's in USA. North Carolina had the highest population of Alston families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Alston 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 Alston ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Alston. 30% of Alston men worked as a Laborer and 13% of Alston women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Alston were Farm Laborer and Laundress. .

View Census Data for Alston | 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
    30%
  • Farmer
    18%
  • Farming
    5%
  • Farm Laborer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    13%
  • Cook
    9%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Laundress
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Alston family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 103,000 census records available for the last name Alston. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Alston census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Alston

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Alston. 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 20,000 military records available for the last name Alston. For the veterans among your Alston ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Alston lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Alston life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Alston in 1943 was 29, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Alston

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