Get access to Temple family records.Start a free trial

Temple Family History

Temple Name Meaning

English (northern England and London) Scottish and French: from Middle English Old French temple ‘temple’ (from Latin templum) denoting a religious house or manorial estate of the Knights Templar. The surname may be a metonymic occupational name for someone who lived or worked at such an establishment or a habitational name from a place so named such as Temple in Cornwall (Midlothian). The Knights Templar were a crusading order so named because they claimed to occupy in Jerusalem the site of the old temple. The order was founded in 1118 and flourished for 200 years but was suppressed as heretical in 131 English: nickname given to foundlings baptized at the Temple Church London so called because it was originally built on land belonging to the Templars. Americanized form of North German or Dutch Tempel

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

Similar surnames: Templer, Semple, Kemble, Detemple, Tempel, Tremble, Timpe, Templar

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

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Temple family from?

You can see how Temple families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Temple family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Temple families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 626 Temple families living in Yorkshire. This was about 18% of all the recorded Temple's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Temple families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Temple surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Temple

What did your Temple ancestors do for a living?

View Census Data for Temple | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations In 1939

General Labourer
12%
Farmer
4%
Builders Labourer
3%
Incapacitated
3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

Unpaid Domestic Duties
70%
Unpaid Domestic
3%
Private Means
3%
Housewife
3%

Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Temple family records will you find?

Census Records
There are 183,000 census records available for the last name Temple. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Temple census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
Search UK census records for Temple
Passenger Lists
There are 16,000 immigration records available for the last name Temple. 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 Temple immigration records
Draft Cards
There are 31,000 military records available for the last name Temple. For the veterans among your Temple ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.
View all Temple military records

Census Records

There are 183,000 census records available for the last name Temple. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Temple census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Temple

Passenger Lists

There are 16,000 immigration records available for the last name Temple. 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 Temple immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 31,000 military records available for the last name Temple. For the veterans among your Temple ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Temple military records

You've only scratched the surface of Temple family history

Discover More

What is the average Temple lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Temple life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Temple in 1942 was 36, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Temple

Browse profiles of historical people with the Temple last name