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Arai Family History

Arai Surname Meaning

Japanese: variously written usually with characters 新井 meaning ‘new well’. The original meaning is 新居 ‘new residence’.

Another version has 荒 ‘wild’ as the first element.

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 Arai family from?

You can see how Arai families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Arai family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1911 and 1920. The most Arai families were found in USA in 1920. In 1920 there were 15 Arai families living in Hawaii. This was about 31% of all the recorded Arai's in USA. Hawaii had the highest population of Arai families in 1920.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Arai 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 Arai ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Clerk and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Arai. 17% of Arai men worked as a Clerk and 50% of Arai women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Arai were Carpenter and Waitress.

View Census Data for Arai | 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

  • Clerk
    17%
  • Cook
    17%
  • Mill Laborer
    17%
  • Carpenter
    17%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    50%
  • Waitress
    50%

What Arai family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 891 census records available for the last name Arai. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Arai census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Arai

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Arai. 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 Arai immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 549 military records available for the last name Arai. For the veterans among your Arai ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Arai military records

You've only scratched the surface of Arai family history

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What is the average Arai lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Arai life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 1975. The average life expectancy for Arai in 1964 was 83, and 85 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Arai

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Arai 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 Arai family tree

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