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Hunter Family History

Hunter Name Meaning

Scottish and northern English: occupational name from Middle English hunter(e) ‘huntsman’ (see Hunt ). Irish (Antrim and Derry): adopted for Gaelic Ó Fiaich (see Fee ) due to confusion with the word fiadhach ‘hunt’. In some cases also an Americanized form (mistranslation into English; compare Chasse ) of French Canadian Chassé (see Chasse ).

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


Similar surnames: Hutter, Hunte, Hayter, Luter, Hunger, Muter, Hucker, Suter, Horter

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Hunter family from?

You can see how Hunter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hunter family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hunter families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 3,319 Hunter families living in Durham. This was about 20% of all the recorded Hunter's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Hunter families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hunter surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Hunter ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Hunter. 10% of Hunter men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Hunter women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hunter were Retired and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Hunter | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Retired
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Hunter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Hunter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hunter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Hunter

Passenger Lists

There are 163,000 immigration records available for the last name Hunter. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Hunter immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 194,000 military records available for the last name Hunter. For the veterans among your Hunter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hunter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Hunter family history

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What is the average Hunter lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Hunter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Hunter in 1940 was 37, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hunter

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