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Gidson Family History

Gidson Name Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Gideon, Eidson, Gadson, Gilson, Gibson, Gipson, Sibson, Lipson

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Gidson family from?

You can see how Gidson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gidson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gidson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there was 1 Gidson family living in Kentucky. This was about 50% of all the recorded Gidson's in USA. Kentucky and 1 other state had the highest population of Gidson families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gidson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gidson ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gidson. 40% of Gidson men worked as a Laborer and 14% of Gidson women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gidson were Salesman and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Gidson | 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

  • Laborer
    40%
  • Farmer
    25%
  • Truck Driver
    9%
  • Salesman
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    14%
  • Housekeeper
    14%
  • Laundress
    14%
  • Stenographer
    14%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gidson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Gidson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gidson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Gidson

Passenger Lists

There are 162 immigration records available for the last name Gidson. 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 Gidson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 184 military records available for the last name Gidson. For the veterans among your Gidson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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