The Slaughter surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 27,155 people carried this name — #1,295 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 10,900 people counted. That is up 4% from 26,088 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Slaughter surname

Originally named for someone who slaughtered animals for food.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Slaughter» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

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

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 696 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Slaughter was found among the farmers of Surrey: 15 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Surrey 15

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

73 families named Slaughter, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 391 people lived in those households, 5.4 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

Virginia 16
Pennsylvania 15
North Carolina 15
Maryland 10
New York 6
Massachusetts 5
Rhode Island 3
Connecticut 2
Vermont 1

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. 262 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Slaughter in American newspapers,
1899–1926.

Newspaper page from New-york Tribune carrying the name Slaughter
New-york Tribune 1899-06-11
Newspaper page from The Colored American carrying the name Slaughter
The Colored American 1902-05-10
Newspaper page from The Bozeman Courier carrying the name Slaughter
The Bozeman Courier 1926-10-29

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,670 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Slaughter in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

17,510 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Slaughter. The most, 2,212, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 3.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 12,111
New South Wales 2,171
Victoria 1,547
South Australia 783
Western Australia 602
Tasmania 178
ACT (Canberra) 33
Northern Territory 5

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

Who carried it

People named Slaughter,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Gabriel Slaughter
    Gabriel Slaughter 1767–1830 · military personnel
  • Constantia Slaughter d. 1872
  • Edward Slaughter d. 1862
  • Frances Mostyn d. 1859
  • Edward Slaughter 1655–1729 · writer
  • Stephen Slaughter 1697–1765 · 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 Slaughter,
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 States1,690 records

1,690 records of the Slaughter name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 977
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 454
  • Other U.S. records 259
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Phillip Edward Slaughter

    Born 1949; from Kansas City, Missouri. U.S. Marine Corps, machinegunner; killed in action 1968 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Andrew A. Slaughter

    Born 1907 in Ohio. Enlisted 1942 at Cincinnati; construction laborer from Hamilton County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1970, buried at Dayton National Cemetery, Ohio.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1877 aboard the Bothnia from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 43; matron. From England.

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

Showing 3 of 1,690 records for Slaughter 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) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia245 records

245 records of the Slaughter name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 122
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 68
  • Other Australian records 55
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Slaughter

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Asia, sailing from Portsmouth in 1827. Native of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

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

    Arrived in Queensland in 1888 aboard the Merkara, aged 7.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Thomas Slaughter

    Farmer of Murtoa, Victoria; died 1924.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 245 records for Slaughter in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); 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).

Canada53 records

53 records of the Slaughter name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 36
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 7
  • Other Canadian records 10
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Dempse Slaughter

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Mars, bound for St. Johns, aged 35.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas Slaughter

    Came to Ontario in 1869 aboard the Dacia, landing at Quebec, bound for St Mary's, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Pearl Bernice Slaughter

    Died 1965; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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

Showing 3 of 53 records for Slaughter in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); 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).

United Kingdom13 records

13 records of the Slaughter name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 9
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Slaughter

    Buried in 1853 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 71.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record L. Slaughter

    Sapper, Royal Engineers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Slaughter

    Buried in 1835 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 21.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 13 records for Slaughter in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Slaughter name in New Zealand War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record J. Slaughter

    Sapper, New Zealand Engineers. 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: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Slaughter.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Slaughter 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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