Daily AncestorHow to read an 1850 census page
1850 was the first U.S. census to name every person in a household. Earlier censuses (1790 to 1840) named only the head and counted everyone else by age and sex. That makes 1850 the place where many family trees first "open up".
1850 U.S. Census, Population ScheduleExample
| Name | Age | Sex | Occupation | Place of birth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Hollis | 38 | M | Farmer | Penn. |
| Margaret Hollis | 34 | F | Do | |
| Jno. Hollis | 12 | M | Ohio |
Four things to know
- No relationships. The 1850 census does not say who is wife or son. That column first appears in 1880. Margaret is probably Thomas's wife, but you have to prove it with another record.
- Ages are as of June 1, 1850, the official census day, even if the census taker came in September.
- "Do" means ditto: the same as the line above.
- Names are spelled as heard. Search for spelling variants, or use Soundex.