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Sylvester Family History

Sylvester Name Meaning

English and German: from the Middle English and Latin personal name Silvester ‘dweller in the forest’ (a derivative of silva ‘wood’). The name was borne by three popes including a contemporary of Constantine the Great and seems to have been first used in England by clerics.

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


Similar surnames: Silvester, Sylvest, Ballester, Silvestro, Vester, Sylvestre, Lester

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Sylvester family from?

You can see how Sylvester families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sylvester family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sylvester families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 221 Sylvester families living in Quebec. This was about 39% of all the recorded Sylvester's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Sylvester families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sylvester surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Sylvester ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Journalier were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Sylvester. 30% of Sylvester men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Sylvester women worked as a Journalier. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sylvester were Labourer and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Sylvester | 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
    30%
  • Cultivateur
    9%
  • Fils De Cultivateur
    7%
  • Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Journalier
    20%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Clerk
    14%
  • Teacher
    14%
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What Sylvester family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 119,000 census records available for the last name Sylvester. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sylvester census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Sylvester

Passenger Lists

There are 32,000 immigration records available for the last name Sylvester. 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 Sylvester immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 23,000 military records available for the last name Sylvester. For the veterans among your Sylvester ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sylvester military records

You've only scratched the surface of Sylvester family history

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What is the average Sylvester lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Sylvester life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Sylvester in 1941 was 66, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sylvester

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