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Olafson Family History

Olafson Surname Meaning

Americanized form of Norwegian and Danish Olafsen or of its very rare Swedish cognate Olafsson.

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


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Where is the Olafson family from?

You can see how Olafson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Olafson family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Olafson families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1911 there were 99 Olafson families living in Manitoba. This was about 67% of all the recorded Olafson's in Canada. Manitoba had the highest population of Olafson families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Olafson 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 Olafson ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Olafson. 62% of Olafson men worked as a Farmer and 39% of Olafson women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Olafson were Rancher and Farmer.

View Census Data for Olafson | 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
    62%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Carpenter
    8%
  • Rancher
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    39%
  • Domestic
    31%
  • Income
    16%
  • Farmer
    16%

What Olafson family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search Canadian census records for Olafson

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Olafson. 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 Olafson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 574 military records available for the last name Olafson. For the veterans among your Olafson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Olafson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Olafson family history

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What is the average Olafson lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Olafson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Olafson in 1954 was 52, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Olafson

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Olafson 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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