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Prufer Family History

Prufer Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Rufer, Pruner, Pruter, Prager, Plumer, Gruber, Prater, Kaufer, Bruder

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Prufer family from?

You can see how Prufer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Prufer family name was found in the USA between 1840 and 1920. The most Prufer families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there was 1 Prufer family living in Ohio. This was 100% of all the recorded Prufer's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Prufer families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Prufer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Prufer ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Operator and Book Binder were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Prufer. 34% of Prufer men worked as an Operator and 50% of Prufer women worked as a Book Binder. Some less common occupations for Americans named Prufer were Farmer and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Prufer | 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

  • Operator
    34%
  • Laborer
    34%
  • Farmer
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Book Binder
    50%
  • Housekeeper
    50%

What Prufer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 359 census records available for the last name Prufer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Prufer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Prufer

Passenger Lists

There are 335 immigration records available for the last name Prufer. 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 Prufer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Prufer. For the veterans among your Prufer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Prufer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Prufer family history

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What is the average Prufer lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2002, in the United States, Prufer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2001, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Prufer in 1966 was 72, and 65 in 2002.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Prufer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Prufer 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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