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Chestnut Family History

Chestnut Name Meaning

Scottish (Renfrewshire and Lanarkshire) and northern Irish: altered form of Chesney shortened from McChesney . Its assimilation to the English word chestnut is due to folk etymology the word itself being first recorded in 1519. The surname was probably taken to Ireland at the time of the 17th-century Plantation of Ulster. English (Norfolk): probably a variant of Chestney (see Chaney ) altered by folk etymological association with the word chestnut.

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


Similar surnames: Chesnut, Chestnutt, Chesney, Pheasant, Cheyne, Chesley, Cuesta

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Where is the Chestnut family from?

You can see how Chestnut families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chestnut family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Chestnut families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 39 Chestnut families living in Ontario. This was about 46% of all the recorded Chestnut's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Chestnut families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chestnut 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 Chestnut ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Dressmaker were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Chestnut. 73% of Chestnut men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Chestnut women worked as a Dressmaker. Some less common occupations for Americans named Chestnut were Teamster and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Chestnut | 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
    73%
  • Teamster
    28%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Dressmaker
    50%
  • Teacher
    50%
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What Chestnut family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 33,000 census records available for the last name Chestnut. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chestnut census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Chestnut

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Chestnut. 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 Chestnut immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Chestnut. For the veterans among your Chestnut ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Chestnut military records

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What is the average Chestnut lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Chestnut life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Chestnut in 1942 was 54, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chestnut

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