The Liston surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,888 people carried this name — #6,877 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 60,200 people counted. That is up 4% from 4,715 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Liston surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Liston’.

An early record he cites: Thomas de Liston, Essex, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Liston and Lyston.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 488 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 12 births for the Liston name in 1890.

Most were registered in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 500 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “10 in Limerick.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Munster 11
Connacht 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In print

Liston in American newspapers,
1863–1923.

Newspaper page from Grant County Herald carrying the name Liston
Grant County Herald 1915-10-06
Newspaper page from Rutland Weekly Herald carrying the name Liston
Rutland Weekly Herald 1863-01-01
Newspaper page from The Milwaukee Leader carrying the name Liston
The Milwaukee Leader 1923-10-05

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 49,237 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Liston in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

13,422 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Liston. The most, 2,190, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 5,759
New South Wales 3,074
South Australia 2,441
Tasmania 737
Western Australia 707
Queensland 609
ACT (Canberra) 44
Northern Territory 24

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Liston.

Who carried it

People named Liston,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Robert Liston
    Robert Liston 1742–1836 · diplomat
  • Henrietta Liston
    Henrietta Liston 1751–1828 · botanist
  • John Liston
    John Liston 1776–1846 · actor
  • Sarah Liston
    Sarah Liston 1781–1854 · actor
  • Sarah Liston
    Sarah Liston 1781–1854 · actor
  • Patrick Liston 1700–1749

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Liston,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States545 records

545 records of the Liston name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 170
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 112
  • Other U.S. records 263
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James J. Liston

    Born 1909 in Irish Free State. Enlisted 1942 at New York City; porter from New York County, New York. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1985, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Bridget Liston

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Majestic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 19; servant. From Tralee, Ireland; bound for Brooklyn.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record John W. Liston

    Born 1930; from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. U.S. Army, military policeman; killed in action 1950 in South Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 545 records for Liston in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia434 records

434 records of the Liston name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 220
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 123
  • Other Australian records 91
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Albert Edward Liston

    Born 1889 in Hobart, Tasmania. Died 1907 in Tasmania, aged 18.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Elizabeth Eleanor Liston

    Died 1934 in Tasmania, aged 79. Will registered in Tasmania in 1934.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Betty Liston

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Bride, aged 4; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 434 records for Liston in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

United Kingdom14 records

14 records of the Liston name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 11
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Other British records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Helen Liston

    Died 1927, aged 81; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record David Liston

    Will proved in 1941; of Liverpool, Lancaster.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record John Liston

    Served in the First World War. Named in the Glasgow High School roll of honour, 1914.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Liston in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada9 records

9 records of the Liston name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 5
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • Other Canadian records 2
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thos Liston

    Came to Ontario in 1871 aboard the Caspian, landing at Quebec, bound for Barrie, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Walter Wilson Liston

    Buried in 1993 at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, aged 61.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record George Liston

    Died 1922 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 9 records for Liston in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Liston name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Maria Liston

    Born 1922 in Great Britain; died 2001 in Auray (Morbihan).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Liston name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Charles Joseph Desiré Liston

    Born 1798 in Maastricht.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Liston.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Liston is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Liston volume
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