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Bestman Family History

Bestman Name Meaning

Americanized form of North German Bestmann: derivative of Best 4 + -mann ‘man’. Dutch: variant with man ‘man’ of Best 5. English: occupational name for a herdsman someone who looked after cattle from Middle English beste ‘beast domesticated animal’ + man ‘man’.

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


Similar surnames: Westman, Bertman, Berman, Hetman, Bellman, Reitman, Beckman, Beeman

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Bestman family from?

You can see how Bestman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bestman family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bestman families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there was 1 Bestman family living in Massachusetts. This was 100% of all the recorded Bestman's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Bestman families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bestman surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Bestman ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Bestman. 79% of Bestman men worked as a Farmer and 45% of Bestman women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bestman were Laborer and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Bestman | 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
    79%
  • Laborer
    22%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    45%
  • Housekeeper
    34%
  • Clerk
    23%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Bestman family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search US census records for Bestman

Passenger Lists

There are 310 immigration records available for the last name Bestman. 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 Bestman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 128 military records available for the last name Bestman. For the veterans among your Bestman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bestman military records

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What is the average Bestman lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2003, in the United States, Bestman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2000, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Bestman in 1962 was 81, and 87 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bestman

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