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Desmarais Family History

Desmarais Surname Meaning

French: habitational name with fused preposition and definite article des ‘from the’ for someone from any of various places called Les Marais (from Old French mareis ‘marsh’).

Alternatively the name may simply have been topographic.

Compare Demarais Demar Demara Demarie and Demore.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Desmarais family from?

You can see how Desmarais families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Desmarais family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Desmarais families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1911 there were 1,193 Desmarais families living in Quebec. This was about 94% of all the recorded Desmarais's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Desmarais families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Desmarais 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 Desmarais ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Desmarais. 17% of Desmarais men worked as a Laborer and 15% of Desmarais women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Desmarais were Farmer and Clerk.

View Census Data for Desmarais | 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
    17%
  • Carpenter
    7%
  • Weaver
    6%
  • Farmer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    15%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Housework
    8%
  • Clerk
    8%

What Desmarais family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 26,000 census records available for the last name Desmarais. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Desmarais census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Desmarais

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Desmarais. For the veterans among your Desmarais ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Desmarais military records

You've only scratched the surface of Desmarais family history

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What is the average Desmarais lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Desmarais life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Desmarais in 1950 was 58, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Desmarais

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Desmarais ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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