This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Call family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Call Family History

Call Surname Meaning

Irish: shortened form of McCall. English: from Middle English calle cale (Old English cawl) ‘container basket net’ commonly used of a kind of hair net close-fitting cap or headdress worn by women to cover tied-up hair.

The name could have been given as a metonymic occupational name to a maker of women's caps or perhaps of baskets or nets. English: alternatively perhaps a nickname from Middle English cale (also calle) a side form of calwe ‘bald’ (from Old English calu).

English: topographic name or metonymic occupational name for someone who lived by or worked at a sheepfold from Middle English caule calle cale ‘sheepfold’.

Catalan: topographic name from call ‘narrow track’ (from Latin callis). Compare Calle.

Possibly an Americanized form of German Koll or Goll.

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


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Call family from?

You can see how Call families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Call family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Call families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 108 Call families living in London. This was about 21% of all the recorded Call's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Call families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Call surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Call 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 Call. 24% of Call men worked as a General Labourer and 80% of Call women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Call were Mason and Private Means.

View Census Data for Call | 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
    24%
  • General Labourer Heavy Worker
    16%
  • Bricklayer mason
    16%
  • Mason
    16%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    80%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Call family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 129,000 census records available for the last name Call. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Call census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Call

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Call. 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 Call immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 40,000 military records available for the last name Call. For the veterans among your Call ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Call military records

You've only scratched the surface of Call family history

Discover More

What is the average Call lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Call life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Call in 1947 was 61, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Call

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

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial