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Boston Family History

Boston Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from the place so named in Lincolnshire which means ‘Bōtwulf's stone’ (from the Old English personal name Bōtwulf + Old English stān ‘stone’). This has been considered to refer to Saint Botulf and to be the site of the monastery that he built in the 7th century but it is more likely that the Bōtwulf of the placename was an ordinary landowner and that the association with the saint was a later development because of the name.

Americanized form of German Basten or Bastian or of some other similar (like-sounding) surname.

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


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Where is the Boston family from?

You can see how Boston families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Boston family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Boston families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 293 Boston families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Boston's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Boston families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Boston 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 Boston 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 Boston. 9% of Boston men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Boston women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Boston were Carpenter and Housewife.

View Census Data for Boston | 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
    9%
  • Farmer
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Boston family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 89,000 census records available for the last name Boston. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Boston census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Boston

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 52,000 military records available for the last name Boston. For the veterans among your Boston ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Boston military records

You've only scratched the surface of Boston family history

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What is the average Boston lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Boston life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Boston in 1944 was 46, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Boston

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Boston 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Boston family tree

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