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Feenstra Family History

Feenstra Surname Meaning

West Frisian and Dutch: topographic name for someone who lived in a boggy area from Frisian fean Dutch veen ‘peat bog’ + the suffix -stra from Old Frisian sittera ‘inhabitant of’; or a habitational name for someone from any of several places named with the element veen.

Sometimes also applied as a nickname to a peat worker.

Compare Veenstra.

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


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Where is the Feenstra family from?

You can see how Feenstra families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Feenstra family name was found in the USA between 1880 and 1920. The most Feenstra families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 23 Feenstra families living in Iowa. This was about 70% of all the recorded Feenstra's in USA. Iowa had the highest population of Feenstra families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Feenstra 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 Feenstra ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and House Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Feenstra. 38% of Feenstra men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Feenstra women worked as a House Maid.

View Census Data for Feenstra | 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
    38%
  • Laborer
    19%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Carpenter
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • House Maid
    100%

What Feenstra family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Feenstra. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Feenstra census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Feenstra

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 276 military records available for the last name Feenstra. For the veterans among your Feenstra ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Feenstra military records

You've only scratched the surface of Feenstra family history

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What is the average Feenstra lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Feenstra life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1971. The average life expectancy for Feenstra in 1952 was 33, and 61 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Feenstra

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Feenstra 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Feenstra family tree

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