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Ostby Family History

Ostby Surname Meaning

Norwegian (Østby): habitational name from any of about forty farmsteads mostly in southeastern Norway named Østby or Austby from Old Norse Austbýr.

This name is a compound of aust ‘east’ + býr ‘farmstead’.

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 Ostby family from?

You can see how Ostby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ostby family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Ostby families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 3 Ostby families living in Alberta. This was about 43% of all the recorded Ostby's in Canada. Alberta and 1 other province had the highest population of Ostby families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ostby 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 Ostby ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Ostby. 38% of Ostby men worked as a Farmer and 25% of Ostby women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ostby were Salesman and Homemaker.

View Census Data for Ostby | 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
    38%
  • Laborer
    14%
  • Farm Laborer
    8%
  • Salesman
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    25%
  • Waitress
    25%
  • Secretary
    17%
  • Homemaker
    17%

What Ostby family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Ostby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ostby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Ostby

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 827 military records available for the last name Ostby. For the veterans among your Ostby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ostby military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ostby family history

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What is the average Ostby lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Ostby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Ostby in 1953 was 38, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ostby

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

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