Arthur Family History

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Arthur Name Meaning

Scottish, Irish, Welsh, English, and French: from the ancient Celtic personal name Arthur. In many cases it is a shortened form of Scottish or Irish McArthur, the patronymic Mac- often being dropped in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries under English influence. The personal name is most probably from an old Celtic word meaning ‘bear’. Compare Gaelic art, Welsh arth, both of which mean ‘bear’. It has been in regular use as a personal name in Britain since the early Middle Ages, owing its popularity in large part to the legendary exploits of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, which gave rise to a prolific literature in Welsh, French, English, German, and other European languages.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Archer, Arther, Arthurs, Armour, Arter, Mcarthur, Ahr, Harbour, Garth

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Arthur Family Origin

Where is the Arthur family from?

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You can see how Arthur families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Arthur family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Arthur families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 513 Arthur families living in Ontario. This was about 41% of all the recorded Arthur's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Arthur families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Arthur surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Arthur

Arthur Family Occupations

What did your Arthur ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Student were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Arthur. 28% of Arthur men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Arthur women worked as a Student. Some less common occupations for Americans named Arthur were Laborer and Housekeeper

View Census data for Arthur | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1921

  • Farmer
    28%
  • Carpenter
    5%
  • Labourer
    4%
  • Laborer
    4%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Student
    11%
  • Stenographer
    10%
  • Income
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    6%

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Arthur Historical Records

What Arthur family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 303,000 census records available for the last name Arthur. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Arthur census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1881 Canadian census records for Arthur

Passenger List

There are 48,000 immigration records available for the last name Arthur. 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.

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Draft Card

There are 58,000 military records available for the last name Arthur. For the veterans among your Arthur ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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Arthur Life Expectancy

What is the average Arthur lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Arthur life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Arthur in 1941 was 35, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Arthur

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Arthur 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.

Famous Arthur Family Ancestors

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