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Slater Family History

Slater Name Meaning

English:: from Middle English sclat(t)er an occupational name for someone who lays slates or sandstone flags on roofs or who manages a quarry from which slates or flagstones were excavated. See also Slate . occupational name for a butcher from Middle English sleght a variant of slaught ‘slaughter butchery’ (Old English -slæht ‘blow stroke’) + the agent suffix -ere. Middle English Sleyghtere has only been found in Essex and is formally related to the synonymous occupational name Slaughter . in Sussex and adjacent counties Slater and Slatter are probably post-medieval pronunciations of Slaughter ; there seems to be no medieval evidence in the southern coast counties for the occupational name Slater in 1 above.

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

Similar surnames: Slate, Plater, Stater, Sliter, Cater, Slatter, Slagter, Lacer, Laster

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Where is the Slater family from?

You can see how Slater families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Slater family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Slater families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 130 Slater families living in New York. This was about 32% of all the recorded Slater's in USA. New York had the highest population of Slater families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Slater surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Slater

What did your Slater ancestors do for a living?

View Census Data for Slater | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Laborer
16%
Farmer
13%
Salesman
6%
Truck Driver
3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Housewife
7%
Maid
7%
Stenographer
6%
Teacher
6%

Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Slater family records will you find?

Census Records
There are 451,000 census records available for the last name Slater. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Slater census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
Search US census records for Slater
Passenger Lists
There are 40,000 immigration records available for the last name Slater. 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 Slater immigration records
Draft Cards
There are 47,000 military records available for the last name Slater. For the veterans among your Slater ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.
View all Slater military records

Census Records

There are 451,000 census records available for the last name Slater. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Slater census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Slater

Passenger Lists

There are 40,000 immigration records available for the last name Slater. 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 Slater immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 47,000 military records available for the last name Slater. For the veterans among your Slater ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Slater military records

You've only scratched the surface of Slater family history

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What is the average Slater lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Slater life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Slater in 1940 was 38, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Slater

Browse profiles of historical people with the Slater last name