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Colston Family History

Colston Name Meaning

Scottish and English: from a Middle English personal name Colstan which is probably from Old Norse Kolsteinn composed of the elements kol ‘charcoal’ + steinn ‘stone’. This name has probably been confused with Coulson . English: habitational name from Colston Basset in Nottinghamshire or the nearby Carcolston both of which seem to have originally been named from the Old Norse personal name Kolr + Old English tūn ‘settlement’. The first syllable of Car Colson was originally the defining prefix kirk ‘church’. English: habitational name from Coulston in Wiltshire which is named with the genitive case of an Old English personal name Cufel (diminutive of Cufa) + Old English tūn ‘enclosure settlement’.

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


Similar surnames: Rolston, Colton, Holston, Royston, Elston, Alston, Tolton, Houston

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Colston family from?

You can see how Colston families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Colston family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Colston families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 12 Colston families living in New Brunswick. This was about 32% of all the recorded Colston's in Canada. New Brunswick had the highest population of Colston families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Colston surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Colston ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Colston. 28% of Colston men worked as a Laborer and 15% of Colston women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Colston were Farm Laborer and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Colston | 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

  • Laborer
    28%
  • Farmer
    18%
  • Farming
    7%
  • Farm Laborer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    15%
  • Laundress
    10%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Housewife
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Colston family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 21,000 census records available for the last name Colston. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Colston census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Colston

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Colston. 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 Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Colston. For the veterans among your Colston ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Colston lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Colston life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Colston in 1943 was 49, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Colston

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