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Vater Family History

Vater Surname Meaning

North German: nickname or status name from Middle Low German vater ‘father person of seniority or higher rank’.

English: from Middle English faitour ‘deceiver imposter cheat’ (Old French faiteor) with southwestern voicing of the initial consonant.

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 Vater family from?

You can see how Vater families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Vater family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Vater families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 35 Vater families living in Glamorgan. This was about 26% of all the recorded Vater's in United Kingdom. Glamorgan had the highest population of Vater families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Vater 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 Vater 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 Vater. 34% of Vater men worked as a General Labourer and 84% of Vater women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Vater were Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Worker.

View Census Data for Vater | 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
    34%
  • Coal Hewer Below Ground
    34%
  • Bricklayer
    17%
  • Builders Labourer
    17%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    84%
  • Domestic Duties
    6%
  • Housemaid
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic Worker
    4%

What Vater family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Vater. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Vater census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Vater

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Vater. 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 Vater immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Vater. For the veterans among your Vater ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Vater military records

You've only scratched the surface of Vater family history

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What is the average Vater lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Vater life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Vater in 1957 was 42, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Vater

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Vater 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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