Origins of the Johnston surname

What does the name Johnston mean?

The Johnston surname most often originates in Scotland. It is a habitational name and although can sometimes be found in England, mainly comes from the town of Johnston in Dumfriesshire (a derivation of the Middle English for 'John's Town'). Even in the modern era, the name is most often found in Scotland and the North of England.

Alternative variations of the name Johnston

Johnston, Johnstone, Jonston, Jonstone, Johnstan

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Delve deeper into the Johnston family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 1269North West 2024Isle of Man 23Yorkshire 533East Midlands 82West Midlands 190East 405London 2573South East 786South West 169South Wales 80Mid Wales 12West Wales 2North Wales 39Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Johnstons lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

110,000 Johnston Travel & migration records
190,000 Johnstons found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Johnston

How common is your surname?

176th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Johnston surname. The oldest one dates back to 1264.

Who were Johnstons most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Johnstons.

What are the most common Johnston first names?

John

William

Mary

Margaret

Our tell us the names of Johnston family members
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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Johnstons

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Commmon female occupations for Johnstons in 1921

Dressmaker

1,087

Domestic Servant

796

Housekeeper

614

F S

564

House Keeper

486

Commmon male occupations for Johnstons in 1921

Coal Miner

1,051

Farmer

838

Joiner

768

Tailor

728

Fisherman

715

We found over 1,200,000 family trees with the Johnston surname

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