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Olstad Family History

Olstad Surname Meaning

Norwegian: habitational name from any of ten farmsteads in southeastern Norway named Olstad from a shortened form of Old Norse Ólafsstathir.

It is derived from the personal name Ólaf + stathir, which is the plural of stathr meaning ‘farmstead dwelling’.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Olstad family from?

You can see how Olstad families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Olstad family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Olstad families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 34 Olstad families living in Minnesota. This was about 46% of all the recorded Olstad's in USA. Minnesota had the highest population of Olstad families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Olstad 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 Olstad ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Olstad. 45% of Olstad men worked as a Farmer and 18% of Olstad women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Olstad were Farming and Nurse.

View Census Data for Olstad | 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
    45%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Farm Laborer
    9%
  • Farming
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    18%
  • Housewife
    18%
  • Maid
    15%
  • Nurse
    11%

What Olstad family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Olstad. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Olstad census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Olstad

Passenger Lists

There are 910 immigration records available for the last name Olstad. 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 Olstad immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 645 military records available for the last name Olstad. For the veterans among your Olstad ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Olstad military records

You've only scratched the surface of Olstad family history

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What is the average Olstad lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Olstad life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1976, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Olstad in 1962 was 74, and 88 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Olstad

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Olstad 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 Olstad family tree

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