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Lister Family History

Lister Surname Meaning

English: occupational name for a dyer of cloth. Middle English li(te)ster a derivative of Middle English lit(t)en (Old Norse lita) ‘to dye’.

This term was used principally in East Anglia and northern and eastern England (areas of Scandinavian settlement).

To this day, the surname is found principally in these regions, especially in Yorkshire.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Lister family from?

You can see how Lister families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Lister family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Lister families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 132 Lister families living in Ontario. This was about 43% of all the recorded Lister's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Lister families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Lister 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 Lister ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Lister. 28% of Lister men worked as a Farmer and 23% of Lister women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Lister were Clerk and Domestic.

View Census Data for Lister | 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
    28%
  • Laborer
    19%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    23%
  • Stenographer
    23%
  • Income
    17%
  • Domestic
    17%

What Lister family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 216,000 census records available for the last name Lister. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Lister census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Lister

Passenger Lists

There are 17,000 immigration records available for the last name Lister. 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 Lister immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Lister. For the veterans among your Lister ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Lister military records

You've only scratched the surface of Lister family history

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What is the average Lister lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Lister life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Lister in 1941 was 52, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Lister

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Lister 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 Lister family tree

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