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Franklin Family History

Franklin Name Meaning

English: status name from Middle English frankelin ‘franklin’, a technical term of the feudal system, from Anglo-Norman French franc ‘free’ (see Frank 2) + the Germanic suffix -ling. The status of the franklin varied somewhat according to time and place in medieval England; in general, he was a free man and a holder of fairly extensive areas of land, a gentleman ranked above the main body of minor freeholders but below a knight or a member of the nobility. The surname is also borne by Jews, in which case it represents an Americanized form of one or more like-sounding Jewish surnames. In modern times, this has been used to Americanize François, the French form of Francis.

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


Similar surnames: Frank, Frankland, Francis, Fralin, Hankin, Franklyn, Frain, Raskin

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Where is the Franklin family from?

You can see how Franklin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Franklin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Franklin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2,744 Franklin families living in London. This was about 24% of all the recorded Franklin's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Franklin families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Franklin surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Franklin ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Franklin. 7% of Franklin men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Franklin women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Franklin were Gardener and Private Means. .

View Census Data for Franklin | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Gardener
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Franklin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 705,000 census records available for the last name Franklin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Franklin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Franklin

Passenger Lists

There are 50,000 immigration records available for the last name Franklin. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 126,000 military records available for the last name Franklin. For the veterans among your Franklin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Franklin lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Franklin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Franklin in 1940 was 29, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Franklin

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