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Kobe Family History

Kobe Name Meaning

Slovenian: from a short form of Jakobe an old pet form of the personal name Jakob . German (also Köbe) and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from a pet form of the personal name Jakob . Japanese (Kōbe): written 神戸 ‘divine door’. It is a habitational name which began as occupational meaning the private residence of a chief priest of a Shintō shrine; it could also indicate others who lived near his residence. The name is mainly found in eastern Japan but because of the importance of the western port city of Kōbe some emigrants from the city may have taken their surnames from it. This surname is very rare in the US. In Japan it is more correctly pronounced Kanbe; other alternate pronunciations are Jinbe and Kamito.

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


Similar surnames: Kober, Tobe, Bobe, Kobbe, Kibe, Koba, Kobes, Kobs, Kube, Kobel

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Where is the Kobe family from?

You can see how Kobe families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kobe family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Kobe families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 3 Kobe families living in London. This was 100% of all the recorded Kobe's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Kobe families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kobe 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 Kobe ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Saleslady were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Kobe. 52% of Kobe men worked as a Laborer and 50% of Kobe women worked as a Saleslady. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kobe were Manager and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Kobe | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    52%
  • Farmer
    10%
  • Salesman
    10%
  • Manager
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Saleslady
    50%
  • Packer
    25%
  • Housekeeper
    25%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Kobe family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Kobe. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kobe census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kobe

Passenger Lists

There are 964 immigration records available for the last name Kobe. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Kobe immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Kobe. For the veterans among your Kobe ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Kobe lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Kobe life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Kobe in 1950 was 32, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kobe

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