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Federal and state census schedules include specialized terminology and abbreviations describing household composition, occupation, citizenship, and demographic characteristics. Understanding these terms helps interpret census entries and the information they contain.
| Term | Definition |
| Age | Age of individual at time of enumeration. |
| Agricultural Schedule | Census schedule listing farms and agricultural production. |
| Alien | Person who is not a citizen of the country. |
| Birthplace | Location where individual was born. |
| Boarder | Person paying to live within household. |
| Census Enumerator | Official responsible for collecting census information. |
| Census Schedule | Form used to record census data. |
| Citizenship | Legal status as a citizen of a country. |
| Civil Division | Administrative area such as township or district. |
| Column | Vertical section of census form listing specific information. |
| County | Administrative subdivision within a state. |
| Day Laborer | Person performing temporary or manual work. |
| Dwelling Number | Number assigned to each house visited. |
| Enumeration District | Geographic area assigned to enumerator. |
| Enumerator | Person collecting census data. |
| Family Number | Sequential number assigned to each household. |
| Farm Schedule | Agricultural census listing farm production. |
| Head of Household | Person listed first in household entry. |
| Illiterate | Person unable to read or write. |
| Immigrant | Person born in another country who moved to this one. |
| Industry | Field of employment or economic activity. |
| Inmate | Person living in institution such as prison or asylum. |
| Laborer | Worker performing manual labor. |
| Literacy | Ability to read and write. |
| Lodger | Person renting a room in household. |
| Manufacturing Schedule | Census schedule documenting industrial production. |
| Marital Status | Status such as single, married, widowed, or divorced. |
| Mortality Schedule | Census listing individuals who died in preceding year. |
| Mother Tongue | Native language spoken by individual. |
| Native Born | Person born in the country. |
| Naturalized | Person granted citizenship after immigration. |
| Occupation | Job or trade performed by individual. |
| Page Number | Number assigned to census page. |
| Place of Birth | Geographic location of birth. |
| Population Schedule | Primary census list of residents. |
| Real Estate Value | Estimated value of property owned. |
| Relationship | Connection to head of household. |
| Residence | Location where individual lived during census. |
| Row | Horizontal entry containing individual information. |
| Schedule Number | Identifier for census page or form. |
| Servant | Domestic worker residing in household. |
| State Census | Census conducted by state government. |
| Township | Local geographic subdivision. |
| Ward | Municipal administrative district. |
| Widowed | Marital status indicating spouse deceased. |
| Years Married | Duration of marriage reported in census. |
| Year of Immigration | Year immigrant arrived in country. |
| Year of Naturalization | Year citizenship was granted. |
| Census Line | Individual entry on census form. |
| Household | Group of individuals living together. |
If you’d like this information in a clean, printable, and well-organized reference format, this topic is also included in the Quicksheet Vault. The Vault is designed for researchers who prefer working tools they can save, print, and reuse — whether that means building a personal binder of key resources or keeping reliable references close at hand. You can learn more about the Quicksheet Vault HERE