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Scarff Family History

Scarff Name Meaning

English: from northern Middle English scarf ‘cormorant’ used either as a nickname for someone bearing a supposed resemblance to a cormorant or else a survival into Middle English of the Old Norse personal name Scarfi derived from skarfr ‘cormorant’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Scaff, Scaife, Wharff, Smart, Staff, Gaff, Score, Scheff, Scarr

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Scarff family from?

You can see how Scarff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Scarff family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Scarff families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 4 Scarff families living in Ohio. This was about 36% of all the recorded Scarff's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Scarff families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Scarff surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Scarff ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Scarff. 26% of Scarff men worked as a Laborer and 17% of Scarff women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Scarff were Carpenter and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Scarff | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    26%
  • Farming
    14%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Carpenter
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    17%
  • Housekeeping
    13%
  • Housewife
    13%
  • Teacher
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Scarff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Scarff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Scarff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Scarff

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Scarff. 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 Scarff immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Scarff. For the veterans among your Scarff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Scarff military records

You've only scratched the surface of Scarff family history

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What is the average Scarff lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Scarff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1968, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Scarff in 1940 was 68, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Scarff

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Scarff family tree

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