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Bob Family History

Bob Surname Meaning

Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): variant of Bobe. Slovak (also Bób Bôb) and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from Slavic and eastern Yiddish bob ‘broad bean bean(s)’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a grower of beans or a nickname for a tall thin man.

Native American (e.g. Navajo) and African American: adoption of the English personal name Bob (altered short form of Robert) as a surname.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Bob family from?

You can see how Bob families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bob family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bob families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 9 Bob families living in Gloucestershire. This was about 45% of all the recorded Bob's in United Kingdom. Gloucestershire had the highest population of Bob families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bob 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 Bob ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Bob. 36% of Bob men worked as a Laborer and 17% of Bob women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bob were Cropper and Farm Laborer.

View Census Data for Bob | 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

  • Laborer
    36%
  • Farmer
    22%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Cropper
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    17%
  • Saleslady
    13%
  • Cook
    10%
  • Farm Laborer
    10%

What Bob family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Bob. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bob census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bob

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Bob. 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 Bob immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Bob. For the veterans among your Bob ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bob military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bob family history

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What is the average Bob lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Bob life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1969, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Bob in 1957 was 46, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bob

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bob 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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