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Vater Family History

Vater Name Meaning

North German: nickname or status name from Middle Low German vater ‘father person of seniority or higher rank’. English: from Middle English faitour ‘deceiver imposter cheat’ (Old French faiteor) with southwestern voicing of the initial consonant.

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


Similar surnames: Kater, Vader, Water, Cater, Rater, Vath, Haver, Pater, Kalter, Falter

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 Vater family from?

You can see how Vater families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Vater family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Vater families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there was 1 Vater family living in Illinois. This was 100% of all the recorded Vater's in USA. Illinois had the highest population of Vater families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Vater surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Vater ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Vater. 28% of Vater men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Vater women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Vater were Clergyman and New Worker. .

View Census Data for Vater | 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
    28%
  • Laborer
    14%
  • Salesman
    11%
  • Clergyman
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    20%
  • Secretary
    12%
  • Housewife
    12%
  • New Worker
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Vater family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Vater. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Vater census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Vater

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Vater. 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 Vater immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Vater military records

You've only scratched the surface of Vater family history

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What is the average Vater lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Vater life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Vater in 1957 was 42, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Vater

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Vater family tree

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