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Finster Family History

Finster Name Meaning

German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname from German finster ‘dark gloomy’ or Yiddish fintster (Middle High German vinster). The name may have referred to a person's habitual character or it may have been acquired as a result of some now irrecoverable anecdote. German: topographic name for someone living in a dark wood.

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


Similar surnames: Fenster, Finger, Winter, Fisher, Fieser, Ganster, Fister, Finner

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Finster family from?

You can see how Finster families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Finster family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Finster families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 3 Finster families living in Ontario. This was 100% of all the recorded Finster's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Finster families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Finster surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Finster ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Finster. 45% of Finster men worked as a Farmer and 17% of Finster women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Finster were Truck Driver and Housework. .

View Census Data for Finster | 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
    45%
  • Laborer
    18%
  • Manager
    6%
  • Truck Driver
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    17%
  • Stenographer
    14%
  • Teacher
    14%
  • Housework
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Finster family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search Canadian census records for Finster

Passenger Lists

There are 639 immigration records available for the last name Finster. 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 Finster immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Finster military records

You've only scratched the surface of Finster family history

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What is the average Finster lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Finster life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1963. The average life expectancy for Finster in 1941 was 49, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Finster

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Finster family tree

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