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Start Family History

Start Name Meaning

English: from Middle English stert ‘tail’ (Old English steort) used in its transferred sense ‘promontory tongue of land hill spur’. The surname may be topographic for someone who lived near such a feature or habitational from a place so named such as Stert in Cornwood (Devon) Stert in Diptford (Devon) Start in Slapton (Devon) Start Farm and Start Point in Stokenham (Devon) Stert (Wiltshire) Sturtwood Farm in Newdigate (Surrey) Sturt Lane in Frimley (Surrey) and Sturt Farm in Haslemere (Surrey).

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


Similar surnames: Starr, Smart, Tart, Stare, Stade, Star, Stark, Startz, Swart, Stewart

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 Start family from?

You can see how Start families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Start family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Start families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 7 Start families living in Maryland. This was about 25% of all the recorded Start's in USA. Maryland and 1 other state had the highest population of Start families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Start surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Start ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Bookkeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Start. 20% of Start men worked as a Farmer and 10% of Start women worked as a Bookkeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Start were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Start | 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
    20%
  • Salesman
    12%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Truck Driver
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Bookkeeper
    10%
  • Clerk
    10%
  • Housework
    10%
  • Teacher
    9%
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What Start family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Start. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Start census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Start

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Start. 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 Start immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 18,000 military records available for the last name Start. For the veterans among your Start ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Start military records

You've only scratched the surface of Start family history

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What is the average Start lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Start life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1969. The average life expectancy for Start in 1941 was 50, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Start

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