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Charlton Family History

Charlton Surname Meaning

English (Northumberland and Durham): habitational name from North Charlton or Charlton near Bellingham (both Northumberland) or from any of the many other places so named (there are over ninety examples in England) from Old English Ceorlatūn ‘settlement (Old English tūn) of the peasants’.

Old English ceorl denoted originally a free peasant of the lowest rank later (but probably already before the Norman conquest) a tenant in pure villeinage a serf or bondsman.

Irish: altered form of Carlin.

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


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Where is the Charlton family from?

You can see how Charlton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Charlton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Charlton families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 2,940 Charlton families living in Durham. This was about 30% of all the recorded Charlton's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Charlton families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Charlton 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 Charlton 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 Charlton. 11% of Charlton men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Charlton women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Charlton were Incapacitated and Unpaid Household Duties.

View Census Data for Charlton | 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
    11%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Retired
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    2%

What Charlton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 195,000 census records available for the last name Charlton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Charlton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Charlton

Passenger Lists

There are 24,000 immigration records available for the last name Charlton. 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 Charlton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20,000 military records available for the last name Charlton. For the veterans among your Charlton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Charlton military records

You've only scratched the surface of Charlton family history

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What is the average Charlton lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Charlton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Charlton in 1942 was 70, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Charlton

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Charlton 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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