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Bister Family History

Bister Surname Meaning

From Bicester (Oxon), which is recorded as Bernecestre in 1086, Bircestre in 1382, Bysseter in 1517, and Bister in 1685.

The place-name derives from the Old English personal name Beorna or Old English beorn ‘warrior’ (genitive plural beorna) + ceaster ‘city, Roman fortification’.

Perhaps also a variant of Bester.

Source: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain, 2021


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Bister family from?

You can see how Bister families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bister family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bister families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 18 Bister families living in Warwickshire. This was about 32% of all the recorded Bister's in United Kingdom. Warwickshire had the highest population of Bister families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bister surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Bister ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bister. 100% of Bister men worked as a Builders Labourer and 86% of Bister women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Bister | 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

  • Builders Labourer
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    86%
  • Domestic
    15%

What Bister family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Bister. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bister census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bister

Passenger Lists

There are 565 immigration records available for the last name Bister. 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 Bister immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 355 military records available for the last name Bister. For the veterans among your Bister ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bister military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bister family history

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What is the average Bister lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Bister life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1984, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Bister in 1963 was 72, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bister

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bister 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.

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