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Lindsay Family History

Lindsay Name Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from Lindsey in Lincolnshire England. This is first found in the form Lindissi apparently a derivative of the British name of Lincoln . To this was later added the Old English element ēg ‘island’ since the place was virtually cut off by the surrounding fenland. The surname was taken to Scotland at an early date and is the name of an important and powerful Scottish family. Irish: adopted as an equivalent of various Gaelic names (see Lindsey ).

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


Similar surnames: Lindsey, Livesay, Lindley, Linde, Linsey, Linden, Lunday, Lindau

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Where is the Lindsay family from?

You can see how Lindsay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Lindsay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Lindsay families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 981 Lindsay families living in Ontario. This was about 59% of all the recorded Lindsay's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Lindsay families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Lindsay surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Lindsay ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Lindsay. 37% of Lindsay men worked as a Farmer and 13% of Lindsay women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Lindsay were Carpenter and Income. .

View Census Data for Lindsay | 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
    37%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    13%
  • Stenographer
    13%
  • Student
    9%
  • Income
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Lindsay family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 333,000 census records available for the last name Lindsay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Lindsay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Lindsay

Passenger Lists

There are 109,000 immigration records available for the last name Lindsay. 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 Lindsay immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 54,000 military records available for the last name Lindsay. For the veterans among your Lindsay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Lindsay military records

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What is the average Lindsay lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Lindsay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Lindsay in 1941 was 38, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Lindsay

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