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Sweetser Family History

Sweetser Name Meaning

English: from Middle English swet(e) ‘sweet pleasant agreeable’ + sire sier ‘master’ a respectful form of address especially towards an older man. As a nickname it was probably applied to someone who habitually used the expression. Compare Sire . Possibly also an altered form Switzer a surname of ultimately German or Swiss German origin.

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


Similar surnames: Smetzer, Sheerer, Stetser, Sweitzer, Stetzer, Switzer, Weisser

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Sweetser family from?

You can see how Sweetser families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sweetser family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Sweetser families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 3 Sweetser families living in British Columbia. This was about 50% of all the recorded Sweetser's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Sweetser families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sweetser surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Sweetser ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Sweetser. 21% of Sweetser men worked as a Laborer and 18% of Sweetser women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sweetser were Clerk and Waitress. .

View Census Data for Sweetser | 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
    21%
  • Farmer
    10%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Clerk
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    18%
  • Teacher
    14%
  • Housework
    14%
  • Waitress
    11%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Sweetser family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Sweetser. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sweetser census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Sweetser

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Sweetser. 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 Sweetser immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Sweetser. For the veterans among your Sweetser ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sweetser military records

You've only scratched the surface of Sweetser family history

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What is the average Sweetser lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Sweetser life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Sweetser in 1955 was 51, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sweetser

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