Younger sons of nobles and gentry often had a commission purchased for them in the Army or Navy, or went into the Church.
In Catholic countries that generally meant their genes disappeared. In Protestant countries the clergy was often quite prolific.
Gentry and merchants often bought younger sons an apprenticeship in some trade, in which they could become journeymen and eventually masters. An apprenticeship, at least in one of the more desirable guilds, was expensive, and was viewed as the rough equivalent today of sending a child to college.
“Apprenticed out,” that’s it. It was a euphemism for being transported to the North American colonies. Most of the time it was arranged, so they knew where they were going and were treated reasonably well, or at least better than run-of-the-mill indentured servants. Then, after their term of indenture was served, they got land, fifty or a hundred acres, depending upon where they were. It wasn’t unusual to go from servant to prominence in Maryland over the course of one’s life due to this.