Fenton Family History

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Fenton Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of various places, in Lincolnshire, Northumberland, Staffordshire, and South Yorkshire, so called from Old English fenn ‘marsh’, ‘fen’ + tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’ Irish: English surname adopted by bearers of Gaelic Ó Fionnachta (see Finnerty) or Ó Fiachna ‘descendant of Fiachna’, an old personal name Anglicized as Feighney and sometimes mistranslated as Hunt (see Fee). Jewish (Ashkenazic): Americanized form of various like-sounding names, for example Finkelstein (see Funke).

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


Similar surnames: Felton, Denton, Kenton, Henton, Benton, Lenton, Renton, Winton

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Fenton Family Origin

Where is the Fenton family from?

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You can see how Fenton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fenton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fenton families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,389 Fenton families living in Lancashire. This was about 27% of all the recorded Fenton's in the UK. Lancashire had the highest population of Fenton families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fenton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Fenton

Fenton Family Occupations

What did your Fenton ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the UK named Fenton. 12% of Fenton men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Fenton women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fenton were Colliery Hewer and Cotton Weaver

View Census data for Fenton | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1939

  • General Labourer
    12%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Farm Labourer
    3%
  • Colliery Hewer
    3%

Top Female Occupations in 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Cotton Weaver
    2%

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

Fenton Historical Records

What Fenton family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 210,000 census records available for the last name Fenton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fenton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Fenton

Passenger List

There are 27,000 immigration records available for the last name Fenton. 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.

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Draft Card

There are 27,000 military records available for the last name Fenton. For the veterans among your Fenton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fenton military records

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Fenton Life Expectancy

What is the average Fenton lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Fenton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Fenton in 1944 was 40, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fenton

Famous Fenton Family Ancestors

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