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Manchester Family History

Manchester Name Meaning

English: habitational name chiefly from the city in northwestern England formerly part of Lancashire but perhaps sometimes from Mancetter (Warwickshire). The Lancashire placename derives from Romano-British mamma ‘breast breast-shaped hill’ + Old English ceaster ‘city Roman fortification’. The Warwickshire placename derives perhaps from British mandu- ‘small horse pony’ + essedo- ‘chariot’ + Old English ceaster.

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

Similar surnames: Winchester, Lancaster, Chester, Rochester, Dorchester, Chichester

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Where is the Manchester family from?

You can see how Manchester families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Manchester family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Manchester families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 56 Manchester families living in Ontario. This was about 54% of all the recorded Manchester's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Manchester families in 1911.

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

View Census Data for Manchester

What did your Manchester ancestors do for a living?

View Census Data for Manchester | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Farmer
49%
Fram Man
12%
Carpenter
9%
Engineer
9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

Nurse
50%
Teacher
50%

Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Manchester family records will you find?

Census Records
There are 60,000 census records available for the last name Manchester. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Manchester census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
Search Canadian census records for Manchester
Passenger Lists
There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Manchester. 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 Manchester immigration records
Draft Cards
There are 13,000 military records available for the last name Manchester. For the veterans among your Manchester ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.
View all Manchester military records

Census Records

There are 60,000 census records available for the last name Manchester. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Manchester census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Manchester

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Manchester. 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 Manchester immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 13,000 military records available for the last name Manchester. For the veterans among your Manchester ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Manchester military records

You've only scratched the surface of Manchester family history

Discover More

What is the average Manchester lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Manchester life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Manchester in 1945 was 27, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Manchester

Browse profiles of historical people with the Manchester last name