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Kingston Family History

Kingston Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of numerous places throughout England called Kingston or Kingstone. Almost all of them derive from Old English cyning cing ‘king’ (genitive cyninges cinges) + tūn ‘farmstead estate’ though some have a different etymology such as Kingston on Soar in Nottinghamshire which derives from Old English cyne ‘royal’ + stān ‘stone’.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Kingston family from?

You can see how Kingston families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kingston family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kingston families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 653 Kingston families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Kingston's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Kingston families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kingston 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 Kingston 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 Kingston. 10% of Kingston men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Kingston women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kingston were Carpenter joiner and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Kingston | 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
    10%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Carpenter joiner
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Kingston family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 119,000 census records available for the last name Kingston. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kingston census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kingston

Passenger Lists

There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Kingston. 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 Kingston immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Kingston military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kingston family history

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What is the average Kingston lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Kingston life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Kingston in 1941 was 33, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kingston

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kingston 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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