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Alem Family History

Alem Surname Meaning

Ethiopian: from the personal name Alem meaning ‘world’ in the Amharic language.

— Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

Muslim (mainly Algeria): variant of Alam.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Alem family from?

You can see how Alem families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Alem family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most Alem families were found in USA in 1880. In 1881 there was 1 Alem family living in Midlothian. This was 100% of all the recorded Alem's in Scotland. Midlothian had the highest population of Alem families in 1881.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Alem 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 Alem ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Alem. 67% of Alem men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Alem women worked as a Housework.

View Census Data for Alem | 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
    67%
  • Laborer
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    100%

What Alem family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 482 census records available for the last name Alem. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Alem census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Alem

Passenger Lists

There are 282 immigration records available for the last name Alem. 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 Alem immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 25 military records available for the last name Alem. For the veterans among your Alem ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Alem military records

You've only scratched the surface of Alem family history

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What is the average Alem lifespan?

Between 1990 and 2002, in the United States, Alem life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1999, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Alem in 1990 was 86, and 42 in 2002.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Alem

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Alem 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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