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Surplice Family History

Surplice Surname Meaning

Perhaps a de-palatalized variant of Sharples (i.e. *Sarples) altered by folk etymology to resemble surplice ‘white overgarment worn by Anglican priests and choristers’. Sharples, Sharpless, and Sharplus are Lancs surnames which appear in London and the Midlands in the post-medieval period.

The change in the vowel to Sherp- spelled Shurp- probably originated in Lancs itself though it happens to be recorded later than in more southerly counties.

Sarah Shurples 1743 and Edward Sharples 1852 in IGI (Gorton Lancs); Robert Sharpless 1823 and James Surplus 1855 in IGI (Preston Lancs); Edward Sharples 1868 in IGI and Thomas Surpluss 1881 in IGI (Barrow in Furness Lancs).

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


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Where is the Surplice family from?

You can see how Surplice families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Surplice family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most Surplice families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 16 Surplice families living in Warwickshire. This was about 41% of all the recorded Surplice's in United Kingdom. Warwickshire had the highest population of Surplice families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Surplice 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 Surplice ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Surplice. 64% of Surplice women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Surplice | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    64%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    16%
  • Private Means
    11%
  • Shorthand Typist
    11%

What Surplice family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Surplice. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Surplice census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Surplice

Passenger Lists

There are 91 immigration records available for the last name Surplice. 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 Surplice immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 144 military records available for the last name Surplice. For the veterans among your Surplice ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Surplice military records

You've only scratched the surface of Surplice family history

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What is the average Surplice lifespan?

Between 1973 and 2002, in the United States, Surplice life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1983, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Surplice in 1973 was 74, and 82 in 2002.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Surplice

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Surplice 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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