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Scott Family History

Scott Surname Meaning

English Scottish and Irish (Down): habitational and ethnic name from Middle English Scot ‘man from Scotland’. There is no evidence that the surname denoted either of the earlier senses of Scot as ‘(Gaelic-speaking) Irishman’ or ‘man from Alba’, the Gaelic-speaking region of Scotland north of the river Forth.

This surname is also very common among African Americans. English and Scottish: from the rare Middle English personal name Scot (Old English Scott, possibly also Old Norse Skotr) only certainly attested in northern England.

English: variant of Scutt.

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


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Where is the Scott family from?

You can see how Scott families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Scott family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Scott families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 728 Scott families living in New York. This was about 14% of all the recorded Scott's in USA. New York had the highest population of Scott families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Scott 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 Scott ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Scott. 17% of Scott men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Scott women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Scott were Truck Driver and Housewife.

View Census Data for Scott | 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
    17%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    9%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Housewife
    5%

What Scott family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3 million census records available for the last name Scott. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Scott census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Scott

Passenger Lists

There are 385,000 immigration records available for the last name Scott. 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 Scott immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 490,000 military records available for the last name Scott. For the veterans among your Scott ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Scott military records

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