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Samuel Family History

Samuel Name Meaning

English Scottish Welsh German Dutch Spanish French Slovak Czech Jewish and African (mainly Nigeria and Ethiopia); Hungarian (Sámuel): from the Biblical personal name Samuel (Hebrew Shemuel ‘Name of God’). In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages such as Greek patronymic Samouelidis. The name Samuel is also found among Christians in southern India but since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames the southern Indian name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

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


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

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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 1891 there were 970 Samuel families living in Glamorgan. This was about 25% of all the recorded Samuel's in United Kingdom. Glamorgan had the highest population of Samuel families in 1891.
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.
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What did your Samuel 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 Samuel. 8% of Samuel men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Samuel women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Samuel were Bricklayer and Incapacitated. .

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 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Colliery Hewer
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
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 Australian 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 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 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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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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