History of your Surname
Get access to Old family records.Start a free trial

Old Family History

Old Name Meaning

English: variant of Olds from Middle English old(e) ‘old’ (Old English eald) used not always to imply old age but also to distinguish the older of two bearers of the same personal name. German: northern variant of Alt like the English name a distinguishing name for the older of two bearers of the same name. Americanized form of German Alt .

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


Similar surnames: Gold, Bold, Eld, Ord, Olp, Wold, Nold, Wolf, Olm, Hold

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Old family from?

You can see how Old families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Old family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Old families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 119 Old families living in British Columbia. This was about 62% of all the recorded Old's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Old families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Old surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Old ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Old. 43% of Old men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Old | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    43%
  • Farmers Son
    15%
  • Foreman
    15%
  • Conductor
    15%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Old family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 42,000 census records available for the last name Old. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Old census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Old

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Old. 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 Old immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 85,000 military records available for the last name Old. For the veterans among your Old ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Old military records

You've only scratched the surface of Old family history

Discover More

What is the average Old lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Old life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Old in 1943 was 42, and 90 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Old

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Old family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Old last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial