Get access to Fenster family records.Start a free trial

Fenster Family History

Fenster Name Meaning

German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a window maker from Middle High German venster German Fenster ‘window’. Medieval windows were often just holes in the wall; indeed the English word window derives from Old Norse vindauga ‘wind eye’. Later they were filled with a frame containing thin layers of translucent horn and eventually glass normally only in small pieces leaded together. As a Jewish name in many families it is one of the surnames randomly assigned by Austrian clerks. German: possibly a habitational name from any of various minor places so named from being in a gap in a range of hills or a clearing in a wood; it may also have been a topographic name for someone who lived in a house remarkable for its windows.

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

Similar surnames: Finster, Easter, Nester, Genser, Bester, Elster, Kensler, Feister

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

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Fenster family from?

You can see how Fenster families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fenster family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Fenster families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 19 Fenster families living in Quebec. This was about 61% of all the recorded Fenster's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Fenster families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fenster surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Fenster

What Fenster family records will you find?

Census Records
There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Fenster. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fenster census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
Search Canadian census records for Fenster
Passenger Lists
There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Fenster. 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 Fenster immigration records
Draft Cards
There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Fenster. For the veterans among your Fenster ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.
View all Fenster military records

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Fenster. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fenster census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Fenster

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Fenster. For the veterans among your Fenster ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fenster military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fenster family history

Discover More

What is the average Fenster lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Fenster life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Fenster in 1947 was 60, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fenster

Browse profiles of historical people with the Fenster last name

Start a 14-Day Free Trial