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Playfair Family History

Playfair Surname Meaning

from Middle English plei-fere (-ifere) ‘companion playmate friend; also paramour’ or its Scots equivalent playfere; less likely from Middle English plei(en) ‘to play’ + fair(e) ‘fairly pleasantly courteously’ for which compare Gover.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Playfair family from?

You can see how Playfair families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Playfair family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Playfair families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 26 Playfair families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Playfair's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Playfair families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Playfair 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 Playfair ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Grocers Manager and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Playfair. 100% of Playfair men worked as a Grocers Manager and 64% of Playfair women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Playfair | 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

  • Grocers Manager
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    64%
  • Private Means
    23%
  • Incapacitated
    7%
  • Actress
    7%

What Playfair family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Playfair. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Playfair census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Playfair

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 724 military records available for the last name Playfair. For the veterans among your Playfair ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Playfair military records

You've only scratched the surface of Playfair family history

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What is the average Playfair lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2002, in the United States, Playfair life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1996, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Playfair in 1963 was 78, and 83 in 2002.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Playfair

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Playfair 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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