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Gaston Family History

Gaston Surname Meaning

French: from the ancient Germanic personal name Gasto derived from gast ‘guest foreigner’ earlier ‘foreign warrior’. This surname is also found in England and Ireland where it is probably a Huguenot importation. Compare Guest.

English (Sussex): variant of Gasson. English: in Gloucestershire a variant of Garston a topographic name or metonymic occupational name denoting someone who lived by or worked in a paddock.

Scottish: habitational name from Galston (Ayrshire). The /l/ has been vocalized to /u/ and the resulting diphthong /au/ simplified to /a:/.

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


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Where is the Gaston family from?

You can see how Gaston families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gaston family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gaston families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 248 Gaston families living in Sussex. This was about 38% of all the recorded Gaston's in United Kingdom. Sussex had the highest population of Gaston families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gaston 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 Gaston ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Gardener and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Gaston. 19% of Gaston men worked as a Gardener and 69% of Gaston women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gaston were Postman and Unpaid Household Duties.

View Census Data for Gaston | 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

  • Gardener
    19%
  • Bricklayer
    11%
  • Medical Practitioner
    9%
  • Postman
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Housewife
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    3%

What Gaston family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 79,000 census records available for the last name Gaston. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gaston census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gaston

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Gaston. 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 Gaston immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Gaston. For the veterans among your Gaston ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gaston military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gaston family history

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What is the average Gaston lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Gaston life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Gaston in 1942 was 33, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gaston

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gaston 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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