History of your Surname
Get access to Tester family records.Start a free trial

Tester Family History

Tester Name Meaning

English (southeastern): nickname from Old French testard a pejorative derivative of teste ‘head’ for a know-all or someone with a big head (see Testa ). German: from Latin testa ‘head’ hence a nickname for someone with a large or otherwise remarkable head or especially in Bavaria a topographic name for someone who lived at one end of a village or a row of fields from the same word. German: metonymic occupational name for a silver smelter from Bavarian test ‘furnace for refining silver’.

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


Similar surnames: Pester, Wester, Bester, Nester, Vester, Tesser, Hester, Ester, Rester

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Tester family from?

You can see how Tester families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tester family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Tester families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 9 Tester families living in Saskatchewan. This was about 41% of all the recorded Tester's in Canada. Saskatchewan had the highest population of Tester families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tester surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Tester ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Tester. 56% of Tester men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Tester | 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
    56%
  • Labourer
    20%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Farmers Son
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Tester family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 42,000 census records available for the last name Tester. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tester census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Tester

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Tester. 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 Tester immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Tester. For the veterans among your Tester ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tester military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tester family history

Discover More

What is the average Tester lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Tester life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Tester in 1944 was 21, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tester

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Tester family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Tester last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial