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See Family History

See Surname Meaning

English and German: topographic name for someone who lived by the sea-shore or beside a lake from Middle English se ‘sea lake’ (Old English sǣ) Middle High German sē. Altered form of French (of Flemish origin) Sy.

Chinese: variant of Si or Xi. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 謝 (see Xie), 池 (see Chi), 薛 (see Xue), 徐 and 許 (see Xu 1 and).

Chinese: from the personal name 泗 (composed of a semantic radical 氵 indicating something related to water and a phonetic radical 四 meaning ‘four’) recorded as a surname after immigration of its bearer to the US.

Southeast Asian (Lahu): name found among the Lahu people from Laos of unexplained etymology; it may be of Chinese origin (see above).

See also Saesee.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the See family from?

You can see how See families moved over time by selecting different census years. The See family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most See families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 38 See families living in London. This was about 13% of all the recorded See's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of See families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the See 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 See 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 See. 54% of See men worked as a Farm Labourer and 68% of See women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named See were Builders Labourer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for See | 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
    54%
  • House Painter
    20%
  • Boat Builder
    14%
  • Builders Labourer
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    7%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%

What See family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 62,000 census records available for the last name See. Like a window into their day-to-day life, See census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for See

Passenger Lists

There are 15,000 immigration records available for the last name See. 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 See immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 88,000 military records available for the last name See. For the veterans among your See ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all See military records

You've only scratched the surface of See family history

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What is the average See lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, See life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for See in 1940 was 47, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for See

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your See 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the See family tree

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