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Atherton Family History

Atherton Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from a place near Manchester named Atherton from the Old English personal name Æthelhere + Old English tūn ‘settlement’. English: habitational name from Hatherton Staffordshire from Old English haguthorn + dūn ‘the hill where hawthorn grows’.

English (East Anglia): topographic name from Middle English at ther doune ‘(dweller) on the hill’ (Old English æt thǣre dūne). Through confusion of -don and -ton Attherdoune was altered to Atherton, Adderton and Atterton.

English: variant of Atterton, a habitational name from Atterton in Witherley, Leicestershire, possibly derived from the Old English personal name Æthelred or Ēadred + tūn ‘farmstead’.

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


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Where is the Atherton family from?

You can see how Atherton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Atherton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Atherton families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 40 Atherton families living in New Brunswick. This was about 29% of all the recorded Atherton's in Canada. New Brunswick had the highest population of Atherton families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Atherton 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 Atherton ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Tailoress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Atherton. 18% of Atherton men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Atherton women worked as a Tailoress. Some less common occupations for Americans named Atherton were Teamster and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Atherton | 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
    18%
  • Carpenter
    10%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Teamster
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Tailoress
    34%
  • Packer
    23%
  • Housekeeper
    23%
  • Stenographer
    23%

What Atherton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 111,000 census records available for the last name Atherton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Atherton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Atherton

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Atherton. 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 12,000 military records available for the last name Atherton. For the veterans among your Atherton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Atherton lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Atherton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Atherton in 1944 was 44, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Atherton

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Atherton 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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