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Robert Family History

Robert Name Meaning

French Walloon English German Dutch Flemish and Breton (of French origin); Hungarian (Róbert): from the ancient Germanic personal name Ro(d)bert (Middle English Robert Old French Ro(d)bert) composed of the elements hrōd ‘fame renown’ + berht ‘bright famous’. This is found occasionally in Anglo-Saxon England before the Conquest but in the main it was introduced into England by the Normans and quickly became popular among all classes of society. Pet forms and diminutives are found from an early date Robin being particularly common. Compare Robair Robar Robare and Rober . In some cases also an Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames.

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


Similar surnames: Gobert, Roberts, Albert, Obert, Nobert, Rembert, Royer, Libert, Bert

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Robert family from?

You can see how Robert families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Robert family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Robert families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 4,206 Robert families living in Quebec. This was about 73% of all the recorded Robert's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Robert families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Robert surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Robert ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Cultivateur and Institutrice were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Robert. 19% of Robert men worked as a Cultivateur and 8% of Robert women worked as an Institutrice. Some less common occupations for Americans named Robert were Labourer and Couturire. .

View Census Data for Robert | 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

  • Cultivateur
    19%
  • Journalier
    12%
  • Farmer
    11%
  • Labourer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Institutrice
    8%
  • Journalier
    7%
  • Stenographer
    7%
  • Couturire
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Robert family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 286,000 census records available for the last name Robert. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Robert census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Robert

Passenger Lists

There are 54,000 immigration records available for the last name Robert. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 63,000 military records available for the last name Robert. For the veterans among your Robert ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Robert lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Robert life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Robert in 1944 was 47, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Robert

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