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Alten Family History

Alten Name Meaning

German: habitational name from Ahlten near Hanover. Dutch (Van Alten): habitational name from Aalten a town in the province of Gelderland. Dutch: patronymic from the personal name Alte possibly a shortened form of Allert .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Alton, Alter, Altes, Dalton, Achen, Bolten, Althen, Alden, Auten

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Alten family from?

You can see how Alten families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Alten family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Alten families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 2 Alten families living in New York. This was about 67% of all the recorded Alten's in USA. New York had the highest population of Alten families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Alten surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Alten ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Alten. 24% of Alten men worked as a Farmer and 16% of Alten women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Alten were Proprietor and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Alten | 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 1940

  • Farmer
    24%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Salesman
    10%
  • Proprietor
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    16%
  • Laundress
    11%
  • Housewife
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    11%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Alten family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Alten. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Alten census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Alten

Passenger Lists

There are 892 immigration records available for the last name Alten. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Alten immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 26,000 military records available for the last name Alten. For the veterans among your Alten 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 Alten family history

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What is the average Alten lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Alten life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Alten in 1957 was 50, and 87 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Alten

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Alten family tree

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