Pretorius Family History

Pretorius Surname Meaning

Dutch and German: humanistic name derived from Latin praetor the title of various officials in Republican and Imperial Rome sometimes adopted as the Latinized form of Dutch De Preter an occupational name for a supervisor, commissioner, or curator or of any of various German surnames meaning ‘leader’ or ‘headman’ (see Prator).

The surname Pretorius is by far most common in South Africa; in the Netherlands and Germany it is very rare.

In North America it is also an altered form of the more common German variant Prätorius.

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

Similar surnames: Pistorius, Gregorius, Pastorius, Petrus, Sartorius, Preis, Pontius, Peters, Pettis, Prator

17K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
802	Military Records
852	Immigration Records
838	Census and Voter Lists
61K	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Pretorius family from?

You can see how Pretorius families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pretorius family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Pretorius families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there was 1 Pretorius family living in British Columbia. This was about 50% of all the recorded Pretorius's in Canada. British Columbia and 1 other province had the highest population of Pretorius families in 1911.

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

View Census Data for Pretorius

What did your Pretorius ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and stene were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Pretorius. 100% of Pretorius men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Pretorius women worked as a stene.

View Census Data for Pretorius

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.

Laborer

100%

stene

100%

What Pretorius family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 838 census records available for the last name Pretorius. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pretorius census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Pretorius

Passenger List

There are 852 immigration records available for the last name Pretorius. 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 Pretorius immigration records

Military Records

There are 802 military records available for the last name Pretorius. For the veterans among your Pretorius ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Pretorius military records

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What is the average Pretorius lifespan?

Between 1969 and 2003, in the United States, Pretorius life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 1970. The average life expectancy for Pretorius in 1969 was 70, and 67 in 2003.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Pretorius family tree

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Pretorius Surname Meaning

The surname Pretorius is by far most common in South Africa; in the Netherlands and Germany it is very rare.

In North America it is also an altered form of the more common German variant Prätorius.

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

Where is the Pretorius family from?

What did your Pretorius ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and stene were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Pretorius. 100% of Pretorius men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Pretorius women worked as a stene.

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.

Laborer

100%

stene

100%

What Pretorius family records will you find?

What is the average Pretorius lifespan?

Between 1969 and 2003, in the United States, Pretorius life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 1970. The average life expectancy for Pretorius in 1969 was 70, and 67 in 2003.

Pretorius Family History

Pretorius Surname Meaning

81,000 record(s) for Pretorius

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Pretorius family from?

What did your Pretorius ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Top Female Occupations In 1940

What Pretorius family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Pretorius family history

What is the average Pretorius lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Pretorius family tree

Search for another surname

Pretorius Surname Meaning

81,000 record(s) for Pretorius

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Pretorius family from?

What did your Pretorius ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Top Female Occupations In 1940

What Pretorius family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Pretorius family history

What is the average Pretorius lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Pretorius family tree

Search for another surname