The Register surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,075 people carried this name — #3,914 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 32,500 people counted. That is up 4% from 8,754 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Register surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a name of office: ‘the registrar’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 641 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

25 families named Register, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 144 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 14
Pennsylvania 5
Maryland 4
South Carolina 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 258 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Register in American newspapers,
1911.

Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Register
The Birmingham Age-herald 1911-07-01

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Register in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

2,080 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Register. The most, 429, date from the 1870s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 3.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 990
Victoria 466
New South Wales 302
Queensland 118
Tasmania 115
Western Australia 79
ACT (Canberra) 5

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

Who carried it

People named Register,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William M. Register Jr.
    William M. Register Jr. 1930–1987 · politician
  • Benjamin F. Register
    Benjamin F. Register 1930–2019 · military officer
  • Samuel M. Register 1827–1900 · politician
  • Winston Register 1935–2024 · politician
  • John Register 1939–1996 · painter

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 Register,
in the records of 5 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 States474 records

474 records of the Register name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 314
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 114
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 18
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 17
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 4
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 3
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 2
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 2
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record David H. Register

    Born 1921 in Georgia. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Blanding, Florida; apprentice machinist. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Florida National Cemetery, Florida.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Dorsie Eugene Register

    Born 1947; from Henrietta, Missouri. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1967 in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Susan Register

    Arrived at New York in 1852 aboard the Fitz James from Liverpool, aged 39; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 474 records for Register in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · 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. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

New Zealand18 records

18 records of the Register name in New Zealand
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 17
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Graeme Michael Register

    Died 1977, aged 20; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jean Register

    Died 1934, aged 22; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Allan William Register

    Died 1994, aged 85; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 18 records for Register in New Zealand.

Counts: Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Australia6 records

6 records of the Register name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 3
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 1
  • Tasmanian Names Index 1
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Fred Register

    Arrived in Queensland in 1886 aboard the Duke of Sutherland, aged 23.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Charles Lynn Register

    Retired of Burnley, Victoria; died 1966.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Robert Register

    Left Hobart in 1827 aboard the John Bull, bound for Port Jackson, as steward.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Register in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Canada2 records

2 records of the Register name in Canada City of Winnipeg cemetery records
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record James L. Register

    Died 1987, aged 33; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Sarah Agnes Register

    Died 1951; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Register name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. Register

    Oyal Berkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Register

    Rifle Brigade. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Register.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Register 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.

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