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Johnston Family History

Johnston Name Meaning

habitational name, deriving in most cases from the place so called in Annandale, in Dumfriesshire. This is derived from the genitive case of the personal name John + Middle English tone, toun ‘settlement’ (Old English tun). There are other places in Scotland so called, including the city of Perth, which used to be known as St. John’s Toun, and some of these may also be sources of the surname. variant of Johnson (see John), with intrusive -t-.

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


Similar surnames: Johnson, Whiston, Rolston, Swanston, Winston, Colston, Woolston

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Where is the Johnston family from?

You can see how Johnston families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Johnston family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Johnston families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2,266 Johnston families living in Cumberland. This was about 22% of all the recorded Johnston's in United Kingdom. Cumberland had the highest population of Johnston families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Johnston 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 Johnston 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 Johnston. 8% of Johnston men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Johnston women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Johnston were Retired and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Johnston | 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
    8%
  • Farmer
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Retired
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Johnston family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Johnston. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Johnston census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Johnston

Passenger Lists

There are 261,000 immigration records available for the last name Johnston. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Johnston immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 217,000 military records available for the last name Johnston. For the veterans among your Johnston ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Johnston family history

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What is the average Johnston lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Johnston life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Johnston in 1940 was 39, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Johnston

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