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Riester Family History

Riester Surname Meaning

German and Swiss German: from Middle High German riester ‘plow handle leather patch’ presumably applied as a metonymic occupational name for a maker of plow handles

or in North and Central German a metonymic occupational name for a cobbler.

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


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Where is the Riester family from?

You can see how Riester families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Riester family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Riester families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 5 Riester families living in Saskatchewan. This was about 83% of all the recorded Riester's in Canada. Saskatchewan had the highest population of Riester families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Riester 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 Riester ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Riester. 19% of Riester men worked as a Farmer and 18% of Riester women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Riester were Farm Laborer and Maid.

View Census Data for Riester | 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
    19%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Proprietor
    11%
  • Farm Laborer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    18%
  • Stenographer
    15%
  • Housekeeper
    12%
  • Maid
    9%

What Riester family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Riester. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Riester census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Riester

Passenger Lists

There are 561 immigration records available for the last name Riester. 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 Riester immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Riester military records

You've only scratched the surface of Riester family history

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What is the average Riester lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Riester life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Riester in 1955 was 32, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Riester

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Riester 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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