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Arthur Family History

Arthur Name Meaning

Scottish Irish English German and French: from the ancient Celtic personal name Arthur. The origin of the name is disputed but it may be derived from the Latin name Artorius or it may derive from an old Celtic word meaning ‘bear’ (compare Gaelic art Welsh arth both of which mean ‘bear’). It has been in regular use as a personal name in Britain since the early Middle Ages owing its popularity in large part to the legendary exploits of King Arthur which gave rise to a prolific literature in Welsh French English German and other languages. In many cases this is a shortened form of Scottish or Irish McArthur the patronymic Mac- often being dropped in the 17th 18th and 19th centuries under English influence. West African (Ghana): Anglicized form of the Akan (Fante) name Atta .

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


Similar surnames: Archer, Arther, Arthurs, Armour, Arter, Mcarthur, Ahr, Harbour, Garth

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Arthur family from?

You can see how Arthur families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Arthur family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Arthur families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 513 Arthur families living in Ontario. This was about 41% of all the recorded Arthur's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Arthur families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Arthur 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 Arthur ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Student were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Arthur. 40% of Arthur men worked as a Farmer and 16% of Arthur women worked as a Student. Some less common occupations for Americans named Arthur were Laborer and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Arthur | 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
    40%
  • Carpenter
    6%
  • Labourer
    6%
  • Laborer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Student
    16%
  • Stenographer
    14%
  • Income
    10%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Arthur family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 303,000 census records available for the last name Arthur. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Arthur census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Arthur

Passenger Lists

There are 48,000 immigration records available for the last name Arthur. 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 58,000 military records available for the last name Arthur. For the veterans among your Arthur ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Arthur lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Arthur life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Arthur in 1941 was 35, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Arthur

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