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Zylstra Family History

Zylstra Surname Meaning

West Frisian and Dutch (mainly Groningen): variant mostly Americanized (or archaic) of Zijlstra a topographic name for someone who lived by a sluice from Dutch zijl ‘sluice’ (Frisian syl) + the suffix -stra from Old Frisian sittera ‘inhabitant of’.

Compare Van Zyl.

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


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Where is the Zylstra family from?

You can see how Zylstra families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Zylstra family name was found in the USA, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Zylstra families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Zylstra family living in Fife. This was 100% of all the recorded Zylstra's in Scotland. Fife had the highest population of Zylstra families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Zylstra 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 Zylstra ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Zylstra. 33% of Zylstra men worked as a Farmer and 23% of Zylstra women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Zylstra were Machinist and Housework.

View Census Data for Zylstra | 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
    33%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Milker
    6%
  • Machinist
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    23%
  • Housekeeper
    18%
  • Maid
    9%
  • Housework
    9%

What Zylstra family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Zylstra. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Zylstra census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Zylstra

Passenger Lists

There are 898 immigration records available for the last name Zylstra. 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 Zylstra immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 655 military records available for the last name Zylstra. For the veterans among your Zylstra ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Zylstra military records

You've only scratched the surface of Zylstra family history

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What is the average Zylstra lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Zylstra life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1965. The average life expectancy for Zylstra in 1956 was 47, and 90 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Zylstra

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Zylstra 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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