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Cartwright Family History

Cartwright Name Meaning

English (Midlands and northern England): occupational name from Middle English cart(e) ‘cart’ + wright(e) ‘craftsman’ (Old English cræt or Old Norse kartr + Old English wyrhta) for a cartwright a maker of carts. Variant of Courtright a surname of Dutch origin.

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


Similar surnames: Arkwright, Wainwright, Boatwright, Wright, Cartright, Seabright

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Cartwright family from?

You can see how Cartwright families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cartwright family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cartwright families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 168 Cartwright families living in Ontario. This was about 44% of all the recorded Cartwright's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Cartwright families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cartwright surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Cartwright ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and School Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Cartwright. 38% of Cartwright men worked as a Farmer and 18% of Cartwright women worked as a School Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cartwright were Engineer and Nurse. .

View Census Data for Cartwright | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    38%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Engineer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • School Teacher
    18%
  • Operator
    14%
  • Housekeeper
    14%
  • Nurse
    11%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Cartwright family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 270,000 census records available for the last name Cartwright. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cartwright census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Cartwright

Passenger Lists

There are 30,000 immigration records available for the last name Cartwright. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cartwright immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 31,000 military records available for the last name Cartwright. For the veterans among your Cartwright ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cartwright military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cartwright family history

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What is the average Cartwright lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Cartwright life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Cartwright in 1943 was 35, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cartwright

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