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Gladfelter Family History

Gladfelter Surname Meaning

Americanized form of Swiss German Glattfelder: habitational name for someone from a place north of Zurich named Glattfelden from Old High German glat ‘plane shiny’ + feld ‘open country’.

The surname Glattfelder is also found in southern Germany.

Compare Clodfelder, Clodfelter, Clotfelter, Glatfelter, and Glotfelty.

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 Gladfelter family from?

You can see how Gladfelter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gladfelter family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1840 and 1920. The most Gladfelter families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 4 Gladfelter families living in North Carolina. This was about 50% of all the recorded Gladfelter's in USA. North Carolina had the highest population of Gladfelter families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gladfelter surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Gladfelter ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gladfelter. 26% of Gladfelter men worked as a Laborer and 11% of Gladfelter women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gladfelter were Clerk and Laborer.

View Census Data for Gladfelter | 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

  • Laborer
    26%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    11%
  • Seamstress
    11%
  • Stenographer
    9%
  • Laborer
    7%

What Gladfelter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Gladfelter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gladfelter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Gladfelter

Passenger Lists

There are 176 immigration records available for the last name Gladfelter. 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 Gladfelter immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Gladfelter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gladfelter family history

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What is the average Gladfelter lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Gladfelter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Gladfelter in 1941 was 53, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gladfelter

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gladfelter 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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