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Boonstra Family History

Boonstra Surname Meaning

West Frisian and Dutch: habitational name for someone from Oldeboorn, a village near Heerenveen in the Dutch province of Friesland, formed with the suffix -stra from Old Frisian sittera ‘inhabitant of’.

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


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Where is the Boonstra family from?

You can see how Boonstra families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Boonstra family name was found in the USA between 1880 and 1920. The most Boonstra families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 22 Boonstra families living in Michigan. This was about 92% of all the recorded Boonstra's in USA. Michigan had the highest population of Boonstra families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Boonstra 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 Boonstra ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Carpenter and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Boonstra. 18% of Boonstra men worked as a Carpenter and 50% of Boonstra women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Boonstra were Painter and Housework.

View Census Data for Boonstra | 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

  • Carpenter
    18%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Painter
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    50%
  • Housework
    50%

What Boonstra family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Boonstra. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Boonstra census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Boonstra

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 267 military records available for the last name Boonstra. For the veterans among your Boonstra ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Boonstra military records

You've only scratched the surface of Boonstra family history

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What is the average Boonstra lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2003, in the United States, Boonstra life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Boonstra in 1950 was 47, and 77 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Boonstra

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Boonstra 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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