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Glass Family History

Glass Surname Meaning

English and German: metonymic occupational name for a glazier or glass blower from Old English glæs ‘glass’ Middle High German glas. In English, the name may also derive from a nickname from Old French glas clas ‘clash of arms, noise, tumult (of battle)’.

Irish (Ulster), Welsh, Cornish, and Scottish: from an Anglicized form of the epithet glas 'slate colored, gray' or any of various Gaelic surnames derived from it.

German: from an altered form of the personal name Klass, a shortened form of Nikolaus (see Nicholas). This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine).

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Glass ‘glass’ or a metonymic occupational name for a glazier or glass blower (compare 1 above).

Germanized or Americanized form of Slovenian Glas ‘voice’.

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


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Where is the Glass family from?

You can see how Glass families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Glass family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Glass families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 414 Glass families living in London. This was about 22% of all the recorded Glass's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Glass families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Glass 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 Glass 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 Glass. 8% of Glass men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Glass women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Glass were Incapacitated and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Glass | 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%
  • Master Tailor
    4%
  • Tailor
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Glass family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 234,000 census records available for the last name Glass. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Glass census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Glass

Passenger Lists

There are 29,000 immigration records available for the last name Glass. 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 Glass immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 45,000 military records available for the last name Glass. For the veterans among your Glass ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Glass military records

You've only scratched the surface of Glass family history

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What is the average Glass lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Glass life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Glass in 1941 was 35, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Glass

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Glass 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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