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Stewart Family History

Stewart Surname Meaning

Scottish (Lanarkshire) and English: originally an occupational name for an administrative official of an estate from Middle English stiward Old English stigweard stīweard a compound of stig ‘house(hold)’ + weard ‘guardian’. In the Anglo-Saxon period this title was used of an officer controlling the domestic affairs of a household especially of the royal household; after the Norman Conquest it was also used more widely as the native equivalent of Seneschal for the steward of a manor or manager of an estate. In Scotland the term was also used of a magistrate originally appointed by the king to administer crown lands forming a stewartry.

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


Similar surnames: Seward, Ewart, Start, Stobart, Stegall, Dewart, Spear, Steer, Swart

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Stewart family from?

You can see how Stewart families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Stewart family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Stewart families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 641 Stewart families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 17% of all the recorded Stewart's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Stewart families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Stewart surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Stewart ancestors do for a living?

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

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

Top Female Occupations In 1940

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

What Stewart family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2 million census records available for the last name Stewart. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Stewart census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Stewart

Passenger Lists

There are 435,000 immigration records available for the last name Stewart. 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 Stewart immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 373,000 military records available for the last name Stewart. For the veterans among your Stewart ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Stewart military records

You've only scratched the surface of Stewart family history

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What is the average Stewart lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Stewart life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Stewart in 1940 was 36, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Stewart

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Stewart family tree

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