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Pretorius Family History

Pretorius Surname Meaning

Dutch and German: humanistic name derived from Latin praetor the title of various officials in Republican and Imperial Rome sometimes adopted as the Latinized form of Dutch De Preter an occupational name for a supervisor, commissioner, or curator or of any of various German surnames meaning ‘leader’ or ‘headman’ (see Prator).

The surname Pretorius is by far most common in South Africa; in the Netherlands and Germany it is very rare.

In North America it is also an altered form of the more common German variant Prätorius.

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


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Where is the Pretorius family from?

You can see how Pretorius families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pretorius family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Pretorius families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there was 1 Pretorius family living in Lancashire. This was 100% of all the recorded Pretorius's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Pretorius families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pretorius 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 Pretorius ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stene were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Pretorius. 100% of Pretorius men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Pretorius women worked as a Stene.

View Census Data for Pretorius | 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

  • Laborer
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stene
    100%

What Pretorius family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 838 census records available for the last name Pretorius. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pretorius census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Pretorius

Passenger Lists

There are 852 immigration records available for the last name Pretorius. 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 Pretorius immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 802 military records available for the last name Pretorius. For the veterans among your Pretorius ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Pretorius military records

You've only scratched the surface of Pretorius family history

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What is the average Pretorius lifespan?

Between 1969 and 2003, in the United States, Pretorius life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 1970. The average life expectancy for Pretorius in 1969 was 70, and 67 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Pretorius

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Pretorius 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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