Colston Family History

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Colston Name Meaning

from a Middle English personal name, Colstan, which is probably from Old Norse Kolsteinn, composed of the elements kol ‘charcoal’ + steinn ‘stone’. habitational name from Colston Basset in Nottinghamshire, or the nearby Car Colston, both of which seem to have originally been named from the Old Norse personal name Kolr + Old English tun ‘settlement’. The first syllable of Car Colson was originally the defining prefix kirk ‘church’. habitational name from Coulston in Wiltshire, which is named with the genitive case of an Old English personal name Cufel (diminutive of Cufa) + Old English tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Rolston, Colton, Holston, Royston, Elston, Alston, Tolton, Houston

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Colston Family Origin

Where is the Colston family from?

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You can see how Colston families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Colston family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Colston families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 105 Colston families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Colston's in the UK. London had the highest population of Colston families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Colston surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Colston

Colston Family Occupations

What did your Colston ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the UK named Colston. 2% of Colston men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Colston women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Colston were Old Age Pensioner and Shorthand Typist

View Census data for Colston | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1939

  • Farmer
    2%
  • General Labourer
    2%
  • Motor Driver
    2%
  • Old Age Pensioner
    2%

Top Female Occupations in 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    50%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Shorthand Typist
    2%

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Colston Historical Records

What Colston family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 21,000 census records available for the last name Colston. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Colston census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1891 UK census records for Colston

Passenger List

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Colston. 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 Colston immigration records

Draft Card

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Colston. For the veterans among your Colston ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Colston military records

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Colston Life Expectancy

What is the average Colston lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Colston life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Colston in 1943 was 49, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Colston

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Colston 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.

Famous Colston Family Ancestors

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