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Ast Family History

Ast Surname Meaning

German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle High German ast German Ast ‘knot (in wood) branch’ hence a nickname for a tough or awkward individual or a metonymic occupational name for a lumberjack. As a Jewish name it is artificial.

North German: occupational name from Middle Low German arste ‘physician’ a variant of Arzt. German: habitational name from any of the places so named in Bavaria.

French (southern): from Occitan ast ‘pike’ or ‘lance’ probably an occupational name for a maker of these weapons.

The surname is however most common in Alsace and Lorraine where it is no doubt of German origin (see above).

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


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Where is the Ast family from?

You can see how Ast families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ast family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ast families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 23 Ast families living in Saskatchewan. This was about 72% of all the recorded Ast's in Canada. Saskatchewan had the highest population of Ast families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ast 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 Ast ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Ast. 85% of Ast men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Ast | 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
    85%
  • Labourer
    16%

What Ast family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 14,000 census records available for the last name Ast. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ast census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Ast

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Ast. 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 Ast immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Ast. For the veterans among your Ast ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ast military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ast family history

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What is the average Ast lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Ast life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1963. The average life expectancy for Ast in 1959 was 50, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ast

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ast ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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