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Back Family History

Back Name Meaning

English (Devon Kent Sussex and Norfolk): from the Middle English personal name Bakke (Old English Bacca). It is of uncertain origin but may have been a byname in the same sense as English: nickname from Middle English bakke ‘bat’ of uncertain application perhaps a nickname for a person with poor eyesight from the expression ‘blind as a bat’. English: from Middle English bakke ‘back’ (Old English bæc) hence a nickname for someone with a hunched back or some other noticeable peculiarity of the back or spine or a topographic name for someone who lived on a hill or ridge or at the rear of a settlement. Americanized form of German Bach 1 2 or 6. German (Bäck): variant of Beck . North German and Dutch: from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch back ‘trough tub bin’ hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who made or used such artefacts.7: Dutch and North German: perhaps also a derivative of baa(c)k ‘pig; bacon ham’ hence a nickname for a butcher or a pig farmer.8: Dutch: topographic name for someone who lived at the back of somewhere such as a village a main street or a manor house from a phrase such as van de back or from Bak- ‘back’ as a bound form.9: Dutch: from the medieval personal name Ba(c)k(e) which could be a short form of several ancient Germanic personal names beginning with Bald- ‘bold’ Bade- ‘envoy’ or Bag- ‘up in arms’.10: Dutch: in some cases also a derivative of Backer ‘baker and perhaps also a nickname for someone with a hunched back as in the English name in 3 above.1 Swedish (Bäck): topographic or ornamental name from bäck ‘small stream or brook’ or a habitational name from a place called Bäck or from a placename containing the word bäck. Compare Beck .1 Swedish: variant of Backe .1 Americanized form of Norwegian Bakk (see Bakke ).

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


Similar surnames: Beck, Buck, Bick, Bach, Bank, Bark, Black, Sack, Pack, Hack

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Where is the Back family from?

You can see how Back families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Back family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Back families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 14 Back families living in Kentucky. This was about 19% of all the recorded Back's in USA. Kentucky and 1 other state had the highest population of Back families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Back surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Back ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Back. 18% of Back men worked as a Farmer and 10% of Back women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Back were Carpenter and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Back | 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

  • Farmer
    18%
  • Laborer
    14%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Carpenter
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Housewife
    9%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Stenographer
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Back family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 103,000 census records available for the last name Back. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Back census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 16,000 immigration records available for the last name Back. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 69,000 military records available for the last name Back. For the veterans among your Back ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Back lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Back life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Back in 1943 was 32, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Back

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