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Fast Family History

Fast Name Meaning

North German: nickname for a reliable steadfast person, or from a short form of any of the various personal names beginning with the element fast ‘steadfast’, ‘firm’, for example Fastert.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Kast, Bast, Gast, Fest, Faso, Faust, Fash, Mast, Fust, Ast

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 Fast family from?

You can see how Fast families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fast family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fast families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 23 Fast families living in Ohio. This was about 66% of all the recorded Fast's in the USA. Ohio had the highest population of Fast families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fast 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 Fast ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the US named Fast. 27% of Fast men worked as a Farmer and 15% of Fast women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fast were Proprietor and Stenographer.

View Census data for Fast | 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
    27%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Proprietor
    4%

Top Female Occupations in 1940

  • Housekeeper
    15%
  • Housewife
    9%
  • Teacher
    9%
  • Stenographer
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Fast family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 32,000 census records available for the last name Fast. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fast census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Fast

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Fast. 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 Fast immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 30,000 military records available for the last name Fast. For the veterans among your Fast ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fast military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fast family history.

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What is the average Fast lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Fast life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Fast in 1942 was 31, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fast

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