Steer Family History

Steer Surname Meaning

English and German: from Middle English ster(e) Middle Low German stēr ‘young bull or ox steer bullock’ hence a nickname for a truculent person or perhaps a heavily built person or a metonymic occupational name for someone who was responsible for tending cattle.

English: nickname from Middle English stere ‘strong stout’ (Old English stere).

English: occupational name from Middle English stere ‘steersman helmsman’ (Old English steora). Compare Stearman.

South German: from Middle High German ster ‘ram’ probably a nickname for a hard-nosed stubborn person.

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

Similar surnames: Speer, Stier, Stehr, Steuer, Styer, Steen, Steeb, Steeg, Stober, Steger

107K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
6K	Military Records
8K	Immigration Records
101K	Census and Voter Lists
136K	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Steer family from?

You can see how Steer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Steer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Steer families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 856 Steer families living in Devon. This was about 23% of all the recorded Steer's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Steer families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Steer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Steer

What did your Steer 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 Steer. 9% of Steer men worked as a General labourer and 70% of Steer women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Steer were Builders labourer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Steer

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.

General labourer

Bricklayer

Gardener

Builders labourer

Unpaid domestic duties

70%

Housewife

Unpaid domestic

Incapacitated

What Steer family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 101K census records available for the last name Steer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Steer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Steer

Passenger List

There are 8K immigration records available for the last name Steer. 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 Steer immigration records

Military Records

There are 6K military records available for the last name Steer. For the veterans among your Steer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Steer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Steer family history

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What is the average Steer lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Steer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Steer in 1954 was 48, and 79 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Steer family tree

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Steer Surname Meaning

English: nickname from Middle English stere ‘strong stout’ (Old English stere).

English: occupational name from Middle English stere ‘steersman helmsman’ (Old English steora). Compare Stearman.

South German: from Middle High German ster ‘ram’ probably a nickname for a hard-nosed stubborn person.

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

Where is the Steer family from?

What did your Steer ancestors do for a living?

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.

General labourer

Bricklayer

Gardener

Builders labourer

Unpaid domestic duties

70%

Housewife

Unpaid domestic

Incapacitated

What Steer family records will you find?

What is the average Steer lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Steer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Steer in 1954 was 48, and 79 in 2004.

Steer Family History

Steer Surname Meaning

360,000 record(s) for Steer

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Steer family from?

What did your Steer ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Steer family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Steer family history

What is the average Steer lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Steer family tree

Search for another surname

Steer Surname Meaning

360,000 record(s) for Steer

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Steer family from?

What did your Steer ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Steer family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Steer family history

What is the average Steer lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Steer family tree

Search for another surname