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Buff Family History

Buff Name Meaning

German: nickname for a violent aggressive person from Middle High German buf ‘push shove’. German: from the ancient Germanic personal name Bodo or the compound name Bodefrit containing the Old High German element biutan ‘to bid or order’ or boto ‘messenger’. English (of Norman origin): variant of Bough

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


Similar surnames: Puff, Boff, Huff, Muff, Cuff, Raff, Off, Duff, Luff, Buffa

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 Buff family from?

You can see how Buff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Buff family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Buff families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 7 Buff families living in North Carolina. This was about 32% of all the recorded Buff's in USA. North Carolina had the highest population of Buff families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Buff surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Buff ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Seamstress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Buff. 16% of Buff men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Buff women worked as a Seamstress. Some less common occupations for Americans named Buff were Clerk and Spinner. .

View Census Data for Buff | 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
    16%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Seamstress
    9%
  • Maid
    9%
  • Housework
    7%
  • Spinner
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Buff family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search US census records for Buff

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Buff. 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 4,000 military records available for the last name Buff. For the veterans among your Buff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Buff military records

You've only scratched the surface of Buff family history

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What is the average Buff lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Buff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Buff in 1945 was 19, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Buff

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