Daily AncestorCensus year
The census year was the twelve months before census day, such as June 1, 1899, to May 31, 1900, used for questions about deaths, marriages and work.
Several questions looked back over a full year rather than at census day itself. The 1900 instructions define the census year as June 1, 1899, to May 31, 1900, and use it for the months a person was out of work.
The idea matters most for the mortality schedules of 1850 to 1880, which listed people who died during the year before census day, and for the 1890 question on who married during the census year. A death in July 1859 belongs in the 1860 mortality schedule.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Census year." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/census-terms/census-year. Last checked 2026-10-03.