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Rockefeller Family History

Rockefeller Surname Meaning

Americanized form of German Rockenfeller: habitational name for someone from the village of Rockenfeld near Neuwied Rhineland named in Middle High German with rocke ‘rye’ (Old High German rocko) + feld ‘open country’.

Compare Rockafellow.

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


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Where is the Rockefeller family from?

You can see how Rockefeller families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rockefeller family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Rockefeller families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 50 Rockefeller families living in New York. This was about 88% of all the recorded Rockefeller's in USA. New York had the highest population of Rockefeller families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rockefeller 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 Rockefeller ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Rockefeller. 21% of Rockefeller men worked as a Farmer and 25% of Rockefeller women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rockefeller were Carpenter and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Rockefeller | 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

  • Farmer
    21%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Clerk
    10%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    25%
  • Teacher
    16%
  • Clerk
    14%
  • Stenographer
    9%

What Rockefeller family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Rockefeller. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rockefeller census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Rockefeller

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Rockefeller. 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 Rockefeller immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Rockefeller. For the veterans among your Rockefeller ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rockefeller military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rockefeller family history

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What is the average Rockefeller lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Rockefeller life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Rockefeller in 1954 was 40, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rockefeller

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Rockefeller 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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