Steer Family History

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Steer Name Meaning

English (mainly Devon) and German: from Middle English steer, Middle Low German ster ‘bullock’, hence a nickname for a truculent person or a metonymic occupational name for someone who was responsible for tending cattle. South German: from Middle High German ster ‘ram’, probably a nickname for a hard-nosed, stubborn person.

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


Similar surnames: Speer, Stier, Stehr, Steuer, Styer, Steen, Steeb, Steeg, Stober

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Steer Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Steer name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Steer. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    59%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    22%

  • Germanic Europe

    4%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    2%

  • Sweden

    2%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Steer Family Origin

Where is the Steer family from?

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You can see how Steer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Steer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Steer families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1911 there were 118 Steer families living in Ontario. This was about 75% of all the recorded Steer's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Steer families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Steer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Steer

Steer Family Occupations

What did your Steer ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, Farmer, Farmer Son and Carpenter were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Steer. The most common Steer occupation in Canada was Farmer. 32% of Steer's were Farmers. A less common occupation for the Steer family was Butcher.

View Census data for Steer | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    32%

  • Farmer Son

    14%

  • Carpenter

    11%

  • Butcher

    4%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Steer ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Steer Historical Records

What Steer family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 101,000 census records available for the last name Steer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Steer 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 Steer

Passenger List

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Steer. 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 Steer immigration records

Draft Card

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Steer. For the veterans among your Steer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Steer military records

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Steer Life Expectancy

What is the average Steer lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Steer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Steer in 1954 was 48, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Steer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Steer 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 Steer Family Ancestors

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