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Staff Family History

Staff Name Meaning

English (Norfolk and Suffolk): from Middle English staf ‘rod staff stave’ (Old English stæf) used as a nickname either for a tall thin person someone who made staves or for anyone who carried a staff of office. Norwegian: habitational name from the farm name Stav from Old Norse stafr see Stava .

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


Similar surnames: Steff, Stoff, Scaff, Stang, Stauff, Stiff, Staffa, Taff, Staal, Gaff

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Staff family from?

You can see how Staff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Staff family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Staff families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 237 Staff families living in Norfolk. This was about 26% of all the recorded Staff's in United Kingdom. Norfolk had the highest population of Staff families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Staff 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 Staff 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 Staff. 12% of Staff men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Staff women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Staff were Old Age Pensioner and Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Staff | 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
    12%
  • Retired
    9%
  • Gardener
    6%
  • Old Age Pensioner
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Housekeeper
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Staff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 27,000 census records available for the last name Staff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Staff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Staff

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Staff. 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 Staff immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 49,000 military records available for the last name Staff. For the veterans among your Staff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Staff military records

You've only scratched the surface of Staff family history

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What is the average Staff lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Staff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Staff in 1958 was 41, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Staff

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