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Samuel Family History

Samuel Name Meaning

English, Scottish, Welsh, French, German, Dutch, Hungarian (Sámuel), Jewish, and South Indian: from the Biblical male personal name Samuel (Hebrew Shemuel ‘Name of God’). This name is also well established in South India. In North America this has absorbed other European cognates such as Greek Samouelidis. It is found as a personal name among Christians in India, and in the U.S. is used as a family name among families from southern India.

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


Similar surnames: Saul, Hamel, Kamel, Manuel, Sandel, Rammel, Savel, Samel, Amsel

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Samuel family from?

You can see how Samuel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Samuel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Samuel families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 30 Samuel families living in Virginia. This was about 22% of all the recorded Samuel's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Samuel families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Samuel surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Samuel ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Samuel. 25% of Samuel men worked as a Laborer and 10% of Samuel women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Samuel were Truck Driver and Laundress. .

View Census Data for Samuel | 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
    25%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    10%
  • Cook
    9%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Laundress
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Samuel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 147,000 census records available for the last name Samuel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Samuel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Samuel

Passenger Lists

There are 44,000 immigration records available for the last name Samuel. 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 27,000 military records available for the last name Samuel. For the veterans among your Samuel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Samuel family history

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What is the average Samuel lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Samuel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Samuel in 1942 was 36, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Samuel

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