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Pipe Family History

Pipe Surname Meaning

English (Suffolk and Somerset): metonymic occupational name for a piper from Middle English pipe ‘pipe’ (Old English pīpe). In some cases it may have been a topographic name from the same word in the sense ‘waterpipe conduit water channel’ or a habitational name from Pipe in Herefordshire or Pipehill in Staffordshire, near Lichfield (earlier Pipa) both named from this word.

This name may also be a nickname from Middle English pip, a shortened form of pipin ‘pip or seed of a fleshy fruit such as apple or grape’, also ‘apple tree’. It might have been given to someone of small stature.

Occasionally, the name is derived from the Middle English personal name Pip(pe), perhaps akin to Phip(pe), a pet form of Philip, used mainly as a male personal name.

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


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Where is the Pipe family from?

You can see how Pipe families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pipe family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Pipe families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 360 Pipe families living in Suffolk. This was about 25% of all the recorded Pipe's in United Kingdom. Suffolk had the highest population of Pipe families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pipe 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 Pipe ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farm Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Pipe. 7% of Pipe men worked as a Farm Labourer and 70% of Pipe women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Pipe were Bricklayer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Pipe | 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

  • Farm Labourer
    7%
  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%

What Pipe family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 47,000 census records available for the last name Pipe. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pipe census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Pipe

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Pipe. 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 Pipe immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Pipe. For the veterans among your Pipe ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Pipe military records

You've only scratched the surface of Pipe family history

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What is the average Pipe lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Pipe life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1990, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Pipe in 1959 was 67, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Pipe

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Pipe 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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