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Master Family History

Master Surname Meaning

English: occupational name from Middle English maister ‘master’ (Old French maistre). The word had a wide range of applications and the reference in surnames may be to a schoolmaster, to the master of a farm or house, to the master of an apprentice, or to a ship's captain.

In Scotland, the eldest sons of barons and the uncles of lords were called Masters, but this is not primarily a Scottish surname.

German: dialect form of Meister and in North America (also) an altered form of this.

Indian (Gujarat and Mumbai): Parsi occupational name for someone who was a master of his craft from the English word master.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Master family from?

You can see how Master families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Master family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Master families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 87 Master families living in London. This was about 24% of all the recorded Master's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Master families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Master 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 Master 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 Master. 25% of Master men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Master women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Master were Retired and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Master | 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
    25%
  • Old Age Pensioner
    25%
  • Labourer
    25%
  • Retired
    25%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Private Means
    7%
  • House Duties
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%

What Master family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 44,000 census records available for the last name Master. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Master census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Master

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 26,000 military records available for the last name Master. For the veterans among your Master ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Master military records

You've only scratched the surface of Master family history

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What is the average Master lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Master life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Master in 1949 was 46, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Master

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Master 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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