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Dalton Family History

Dalton Surname Meaning

English and Irish: habitational name from any of various places called Dalton in Westmorland, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, and Yorkshire.

From Old English dæl ‘valley’ (see Dale) + tūn ‘enclosure, settlement’.

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


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Where is the Dalton family from?

You can see how Dalton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dalton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dalton families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 371 Dalton families living in Ontario. This was about 52% of all the recorded Dalton's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Dalton families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dalton 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 Dalton ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Dalton. 37% of Dalton men worked as a Farmer and 16% of Dalton women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dalton were Clerk and Farmer.

View Census Data for Dalton | 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
    37%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Labourer
    7%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    16%
  • Stenographer
    14%
  • Teacher
    10%
  • Farmer
    10%

What Dalton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 356,000 census records available for the last name Dalton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dalton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Dalton

Passenger Lists

There are 43,000 immigration records available for the last name Dalton. 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 Dalton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 58,000 military records available for the last name Dalton. For the veterans among your Dalton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dalton military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dalton family history

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What is the average Dalton lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Dalton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Dalton in 1940 was 67, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dalton

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dalton 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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