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Chalmers Family History

Chalmers Surname Meaning

Scottish: from Older Scots chalmer ‘chamberlain’; compare Chambers. The mb was assimilated to mm; the l was purely graphic indicating that the preceding a was long.

English: possibly a localized form of Challinor (see Challender) with dissimilation of ln to lm in Chalner.

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


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Where is the Chalmers family from?

You can see how Chalmers families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chalmers family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Chalmers families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 264 Chalmers families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Chalmers's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Chalmers families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chalmers 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 Chalmers ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Retired and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Chalmers. 8% of Chalmers men worked as a Retired and 72% of Chalmers women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Chalmers were Carpenter and Housewife.

View Census Data for Chalmers | 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

  • Retired
    8%
  • General Labourer
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    6%
  • Carpenter
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Private Means
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%

What Chalmers family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 139,000 census records available for the last name Chalmers. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chalmers census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Chalmers

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Chalmers. For the veterans among your Chalmers ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Chalmers military records

You've only scratched the surface of Chalmers family history

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What is the average Chalmers lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Chalmers life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Chalmers in 1942 was 35, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chalmers

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Chalmers 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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