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Keister Family History

Keister Name Meaning

German: variant of Kester .

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


Similar surnames: Keisler, Leister, Meister, Geister, Kreiter, Kelter, Register

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 Keister family from?

You can see how Keister families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Keister family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Keister families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 17 Keister families living in Virginia. This was about 36% of all the recorded Keister's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Keister families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Keister surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Keister ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Keister. 23% of Keister men worked as a Laborer and 15% of Keister women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Keister were New Worker and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Keister | 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
    23%
  • Farmer
    17%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • New Worker
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    15%
  • Teacher
    11%
  • Stenographer
    10%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Keister family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 15,000 census records available for the last name Keister. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Keister census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Keister

Passenger Lists

There are 735 immigration records available for the last name Keister. 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 Keister immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Keister. For the veterans among your Keister ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Keister military records

You've only scratched the surface of Keister family history

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What is the average Keister lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Keister life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Keister in 1946 was 43, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Keister

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Keister family tree

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