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Preston Family History

Preston Surname Meaning

English:: habitational name from one of the many places (most notably one in Lancashire) so called from Old English prēost ‘priest’ + tūn ‘farmstead estate’.

Occasionally from Middle English prest + son ‘son of the priest’.

Priests were forbidden marriage but many produced illegitimate offspring.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Preston family from?

You can see how Preston families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Preston family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Preston families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 3,135 Preston families living in Lancashire. This was about 21% of all the recorded Preston's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Preston families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Preston 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 Preston 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 Preston. 7% of Preston men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Preston women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Preston were Bricklayer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Preston | 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
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Preston family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 531,000 census records available for the last name Preston. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Preston census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Preston

Passenger Lists

There are 50,000 immigration records available for the last name Preston. 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 Preston immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 68,000 military records available for the last name Preston. For the veterans among your Preston ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Preston military records

You've only scratched the surface of Preston family history

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What is the average Preston lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Preston life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Preston in 1941 was 35, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Preston

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Preston 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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