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Sanderson Family History

Sanderson Surname Meaning

Scottish and English: patronymic from the Middle English personal name Sander (a short form of Alexander) + -son.

Compare Sandison.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Sanderson family from?

You can see how Sanderson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sanderson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sanderson families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 96 Sanderson families living in Massachusetts. This was about 22% of all the recorded Sanderson's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Sanderson families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sanderson 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 Sanderson ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Sanderson. 21% of Sanderson men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Sanderson women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sanderson were Truck Driver and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Sanderson | 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
    21%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    8%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Stenographer
    6%

What Sanderson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 367,000 census records available for the last name Sanderson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sanderson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Sanderson

Passenger Lists

There are 35,000 immigration records available for the last name Sanderson. 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 Sanderson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 39,000 military records available for the last name Sanderson. For the veterans among your Sanderson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sanderson military records

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