Nesbitt Family History

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Nesbitt Name Meaning

Scottish (Borders), northern English, and northern Irish: habitational name from any of several places in the Border region of Scotland called Nesbit(t) or Nisbit, named in northern Middle English with nese ‘nose’ + bit ‘mouthful’, ‘piece of ground’ (Old English bita) or bit ‘bend’ (Old English byht, modern bight). The place names refer either to a piece of raised land sticking up like a nose, or to a bend in a river shaped like a nose.

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


Similar surnames: Nesbit, Merritt, Nett, Escott, Hewitt, Nesmith, Redditt, Newbill

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Nesbitt Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Nesbitt name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Nesbitt. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    44%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    23%

  • Germanic Europe

    6%

  • Cameroon, Congo, & Southern Bantu Peoples

    4%

  • Benin/Togo

    4%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Nesbitt Family Origin

Where is the Nesbitt family from?

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You can see how Nesbitt families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Nesbitt family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Nesbitt families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 311 Nesbitt families living in Durham. This was about 33% of all the recorded Nesbitt's in the UK. Durham had the highest population of Nesbitt families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Nesbitt surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Nesbitt

Nesbitt Family Occupations

What did your Nesbitt ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, Coal Miner, Labourer and Annuitant were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Nesbitt. A less common occupation for the Nesbitt family was Shipwright. The most common Nesbitt occupation in the UK was Coal Miner. 11% of Nesbitt's were Coal Miners.

View Census data for Nesbitt | Data not to scale

  • Coal Miner

    11%

  • Labourer

    4%

  • Annuitant

    3%

  • Shipwright

    3%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Nesbitt ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Nesbitt Historical Records

What Nesbitt family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 75,000 census records available for the last name Nesbitt. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Nesbitt 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 Nesbitt

Passenger List

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Nesbitt. 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 14,000 military records available for the last name Nesbitt. For the veterans among your Nesbitt ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Nesbitt military records

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Nesbitt Life Expectancy

What is the average Nesbitt lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Nesbitt life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Nesbitt in 1944 was 40, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Nesbitt

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Nesbitt 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 Nesbitt Family Ancestors

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