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Saunders Family History

Saunders Name Meaning

English (Surrey and Kent): variant of Sander with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s.

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


Similar surnames: Saunderson, Sander, Sanders, Anders, Lander, Alders, Xander, Mandery

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Saunders family from?

You can see how Saunders families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Saunders family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Saunders families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 204 Saunders families living in Virginia. This was about 17% of all the recorded Saunders's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Saunders families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Saunders 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 Saunders ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Saunders. 15% of Saunders men worked as a Laborer and 11% of Saunders women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Saunders were Clerk and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Saunders | 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
    15%
  • Farmer
    10%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Clerk
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Stenographer
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Saunders family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 957,000 census records available for the last name Saunders. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Saunders census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Saunders

Passenger Lists

There are 97,000 immigration records available for the last name Saunders. 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 Saunders immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 105,000 military records available for the last name Saunders. For the veterans among your Saunders ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Saunders military records

You've only scratched the surface of Saunders family history

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What is the average Saunders lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Saunders life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Saunders in 1942 was 50, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Saunders

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