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Poindexter Family History

Poindexter Surname Meaning

English (Lancashire): Anglicized form of Channel Islands (Jersey) Poingdestre a nickname from Old French poing destre ‘right fist’. This surname is very rare in Britain while the original form Poingdestre is not found in France at all.

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


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Where is the Poindexter family from?

You can see how Poindexter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Poindexter family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Poindexter families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 7 Poindexter families living in Channel Islands. This was about 88% of all the recorded Poindexter's in United Kingdom. Channel Islands had the highest population of Poindexter families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Poindexter 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 Poindexter ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Poindexter. 23% of Poindexter men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Poindexter women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Poindexter were Farm Laborer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Poindexter | 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, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    23%
  • Laborer
    23%
  • Salesman
    3%
  • Farm Laborer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    9%
  • Cook
    9%
  • Maid
    9%
  • Housewife
    7%

What Poindexter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 34,000 census records available for the last name Poindexter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Poindexter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Poindexter

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Poindexter. For the veterans among your Poindexter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Poindexter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Poindexter family history

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What is the average Poindexter lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Poindexter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Poindexter in 1942 was 30, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Poindexter

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Poindexter 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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