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Philadelphia Family History

Philadelphia Name Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Delphia, Plasencia, Placencia, Pisapia, Philippi, Pellecchia, Phillip

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Philadelphia family from?

You can see how Philadelphia families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Philadelphia family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1911 and 1920. The most Philadelphia families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1920 there was 1 Philadelphia family living in Maryland. This was 100% of all the recorded Philadelphia's in USA. Maryland had the highest population of Philadelphia families in 1920.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Philadelphia surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Philadelphia ancestors do for a living?

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Philadelphia ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

What Philadelphia family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 215 census records available for the last name Philadelphia. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Philadelphia census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Philadelphia

Passenger Lists

There are 95 immigration records available for the last name Philadelphia. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Philadelphia immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 630 military records available for the last name Philadelphia. For the veterans among your Philadelphia ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Philadelphia military records

You've only scratched the surface of Philadelphia family history

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What is the average Philadelphia lifespan?

Between 1973 and 2003, in the United States, Philadelphia life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1973, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Philadelphia in 1973 was 31, and 78 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Philadelphia

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Philadelphia family tree

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Browse profiles of historical people with the Philadelphia last name

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