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Elser Family History

Elser Surname Meaning

German: metronymic from the personal name Else, a short form of Elisabeth (see Elizabeth).

North German: topographic name for someone who lived near alders from Low German else ‘alder’.

North German: habitational name for someone from any of the places called Elsen in Rhineland and Westphalia.

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


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Where is the Elser family from?

You can see how Elser families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Elser family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Elser families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 6 Elser families living in Ontario. This was 100% of all the recorded Elser's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Elser families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Elser 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 Elser ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Elser. 24% of Elser men worked as a Farmer and 14% of Elser women worked as a Housework. Some less common occupations for Americans named Elser were Salesman and Sorter.

View Census Data for Elser | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    24%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Carpenter
    12%
  • Salesman
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    14%
  • New Worker
    12%
  • Stenographer
    12%
  • Sorter
    10%

What Elser family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Elser. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Elser census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Elser

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Elser. 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 Elser immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Elser. For the veterans among your Elser ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Elser military records

You've only scratched the surface of Elser family history

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What is the average Elser lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Elser life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Elser in 1955 was 32, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Elser

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Elser 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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