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Proctor Family History

Proctor Surname Meaning

English (northern): occupational name from Middle English prok(e)tour ‘steward’ (shortened from Old French procurateour Latin procurator ‘agent’ from procurare ‘to manage’).

The term was used most commonly of an attorney in a spiritual court but also of other officials such as collectors of taxes and agents licensed to collect alms on behalf of lepers and enclosed orders of monks.

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


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Where is the Proctor family from?

You can see how Proctor families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Proctor family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Proctor families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,575 Proctor families living in Lancashire. This was about 24% of all the recorded Proctor's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Proctor families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Proctor 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 Proctor 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 Proctor. 10% of Proctor men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Proctor women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Proctor were Cotton Weaver and Cotton Weaver.

View Census Data for Proctor | 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%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Farm Labourer
    3%
  • Cotton Weaver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Cotton Weaver
    2%

What Proctor family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 271,000 census records available for the last name Proctor. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Proctor census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Proctor

Passenger Lists

There are 28,000 immigration records available for the last name Proctor. 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 Proctor immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 40,000 military records available for the last name Proctor. For the veterans among your Proctor ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Proctor military records

You've only scratched the surface of Proctor family history

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What is the average Proctor lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Proctor life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Proctor in 1941 was 63, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Proctor

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Proctor 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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