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Bush Family History

Bush Surname Meaning

English: topographic name for someone who lived by a bushy area or thicket from Middle English bush(e) ‘bush’ (probably from Old Norse buskr or an unrecorded Old English busc).

Americanized form (translation into English) of German Busch. Americanized form of Czech and Slovak Buš Búš (see Bus).

Americanized form (translation into English) of other surnames meaning ‘bush’ for example Slovenian Grm or Germ.

Americanized form of French Boucher. Compare Busha.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Bush family from?

You can see how Bush families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bush family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bush families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 615 Bush families living in Ontario. This was about 65% of all the recorded Bush's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Bush families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bush 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 Bush ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Bush. 35% of Bush men worked as a Farmer and 24% of Bush women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bush were Laborer and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Bush | 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
    35%
  • Labourer
    14%
  • Fisherman
    10%
  • Laborer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    24%
  • Income
    16%
  • Housewife
    16%
  • Housekeeper
    16%

What Bush family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 538,000 census records available for the last name Bush. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bush census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Bush

Passenger Lists

There are 39,000 immigration records available for the last name Bush. 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 Bush immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 96,000 military records available for the last name Bush. For the veterans among your Bush ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bush military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bush family history

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What is the average Bush lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Bush life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Bush in 1940 was 72, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bush

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bush 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Bush family tree

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