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Ambrose Family History

Ambrose Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: from the personal name Ambrose (French Ambroise, Latin Ambrosius, from Greek ambrosios ‘immortal, divine’) which was popular throughout Christendom in medieval Europe. Its popularity was due in part to the fame of Saint Ambrose (c. 340–397), one of the four Latin Fathers of the Church, the teacher of Saint Augustine.

In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages, e.g. Czech, Slovenian, and Croatian Ambrož (see Ambroz), and also their derivatives, e.g. the Slovenian patronymic Ambrožič.

Irish: from Mac Ambróis ‘son of Ambrose’ (see 1 above); a West Munster name which has also been Anglicized as McCambridge.

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


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Where is the Ambrose family from?

You can see how Ambrose families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ambrose family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ambrose families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 565 Ambrose families living in London. This was about 20% of all the recorded Ambrose's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Ambrose families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ambrose 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 Ambrose ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Ambrose. 10% of Ambrose men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Ambrose women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ambrose were Carpenter joiner and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Ambrose | 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

  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Farm Labourer
    5%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Carpenter joiner
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Ambrose family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 131,000 census records available for the last name Ambrose. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ambrose census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ambrose

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Ambrose. 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 Ambrose immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 24,000 military records available for the last name Ambrose. For the veterans among your Ambrose ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ambrose military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ambrose family history

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What is the average Ambrose lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Ambrose life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Ambrose in 1940 was 36, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ambrose

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ambrose 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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