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Dempster Family History

Dempster Surname Meaning

English Manx and Scottish: occupational name for a judge or arbiter of minor disputes from Middle English demester(e) ‘judge’. Although this was originally a feminine form of the masculine dēmere (see Deamer), by the Middle English period the suffix -stre had lost its feminine force and the term was used of both sexes.

The surname is not common in England, where the term was early replaced by Anglo-Norman French juge (see Judge), but relatively frequent in Scotland.

In Scotland, until 1747 every laird of a barony could have certain offenses within his territory tried by his dempster.

On the Isle of Man, deemsters also played an important part in the administration of justice.

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


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Where is the Dempster family from?

You can see how Dempster families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dempster family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dempster families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 112 Dempster families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Dempster's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dempster families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dempster 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 Dempster ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Dempster. 24% of Dempster men worked as a Builders Labourer and 82% of Dempster women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dempster were Colliery Deputy (below) and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Dempster | 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

  • Builders Labourer
    24%
  • General Labourer
    20%
  • Colliery Hewer
    10%
  • Colliery Deputy (below)
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Retired
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Dempster family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 52,000 census records available for the last name Dempster. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dempster census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dempster

Passenger Lists

There are 10,000 immigration records available for the last name Dempster. 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 Dempster immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Dempster. For the veterans among your Dempster ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dempster military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dempster family history

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What is the average Dempster lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Dempster life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Dempster in 1945 was 52, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dempster

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dempster 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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