This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Andersen family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Andersen Family History

Andersen Surname Meaning

Norwegian, Danish, and North German: patronymic from the personal name Anders, a vernacular form of Andreas.

Compare Anderson, Americanized form of Norwegian, North German, and very rare Danish patronymic Anderssen, a cognate of 1 above.

Compare Andersson, Scottish: variant of Anderson.

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


Similar surnames: 

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Andersen family from?

You can see how Andersen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Andersen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Andersen families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 2 Andersen families living in Ohio. This was about 67% of all the recorded Andersen's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Andersen families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Andersen surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Andersen ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Andersen. 17% of Andersen men worked as a Farmer and 10% of Andersen women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Andersen were Salesman and Maid.

View Census Data for Andersen | 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
    17%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Carpenter
    6%
  • Salesman
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    10%
  • Housewife
    9%
  • Clerk
    7%
  • Maid
    6%

What Andersen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 136,000 census records available for the last name Andersen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Andersen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Andersen

Passenger Lists

There are 181,000 immigration records available for the last name Andersen. 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 Andersen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 28,000 military records available for the last name Andersen. For the veterans among your Andersen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Andersen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Andersen family history

Discover More

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Andersen family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial