Curtis Family History

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Curtis Name Meaning

English: nickname for a refined person, sometimes no doubt given ironically, from Old French, Middle English curteis, co(u)rtois ‘refined’, ‘accomplished’ (a derivative of Old French court, see Court 1). English: from Middle English curt ‘short’ + hose ‘leggings’, hence a nickname for a short person or one who wore short stockings. This nickname was borne by William the Conqueror’s son Robert, but it is not clear whether it has given rise to any surnames. Altered form of French Courtois.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Courtois, Cortes, Curtin, Curt, Custis, Purvis, Artis, Burts, Curie

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Curtis Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Curtis name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Curtis. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    51%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    19%

  • Germanic Europe

    7%

  • Norway

    3%

  • Sweden

    3%

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Curtis Family Origin

Where is the Curtis family from?

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1840
    1920
    You can see how Curtis families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Curtis family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Curtis families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 401 Curtis families living in New York. This was about 20% of all the recorded Curtis's in the USA. New York had the highest population of Curtis families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Curtis surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Curtis

    Curtis Family Occupations

    What did your Curtis ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, a less common occupation for the Curtis family was Carpenter. The most common Curtis occupation in the USA was Farmer. 37% of Curtis's were Farmers. Farmer, Laborer and Keeping House were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Curtis.

    View Census data for Curtis | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      37%

    • Laborer

      8%

    • Keeping House

      7%

    • Carpenter

      3%

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

    Curtis Historical Records

    What Curtis family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 860,000 census records available for the last name Curtis. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Curtis census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Curtis

    Passenger List

    There are 69,000 immigration records available for the last name Curtis. 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 Curtis immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 133,000 military records available for the last name Curtis. For the veterans among your Curtis ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Curtis military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Curtis family history.

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    Curtis Life Expectancy

    What is the average Curtis lifespan?

    Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Curtis life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Curtis in 1940 was 50, and 73 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Curtis

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Curtis ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Curtis Family Ancestors

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