Daily AncestorInsane
Insane in a census disability column meant a person judged mentally ill, recorded from 1840, at home or in an asylum.
The 1840 census first counted the insane, and from 1850 the word was written opposite the person's name. The 1860 instructions admit that degrees of insanity made the label hard and say not to mark someone who could manage their own affairs.
In 1870 only undoubted insanity was to be reported. Asylum patients were listed by name, with the institution's name on the page, which can lead you to its admission records. In 1880 a supplemental schedule asked more about each insane person.
As seen in a record1880 census, page of a state asylum
Cobb, Martha | Patient | F | W | 46 | Insane
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Insane." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/census-terms/insane. Last checked 2026-10-03.