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Capitan Family History

Capitan Surname Meaning

Spanish (Capitán): status name from capitán ‘captain’, a title denoting the master of a ship or an officer in the army from Late Latin capitaneus ‘chief’, ‘principal’ from caput ‘head’.

Americanized form of Polish, Croatian, Slovenian, and German Kapitan, Czech and Slovak Kapitán or Kapitáň ‘captain’.

American shortened and altered form of Greek Kapetanos ‘captain’ or of its patronymic and other derivatives (see Kapitan).

Compare Captain.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Capitan family from?

You can see how Capitan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Capitan family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Capitan families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 3 Capitan families living in California. This was about 38% of all the recorded Capitan's in USA. California and 1 other state had the highest population of Capitan families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Capitan 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 Capitan ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and New Worker were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Capitan. 56% of Capitan men worked as a Laborer and 28% of Capitan women worked as a New Worker. Some less common occupations for Americans named Capitan were Milker and Farm Laborer.

View Census Data for Capitan | 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
    56%
  • Proprietor
    23%
  • Milker
    23%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • New Worker
    28%
  • Waitress
    19%
  • Presser
    19%
  • Farm Laborer
    19%

What Capitan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Capitan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Capitan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Capitan

Passenger Lists

There are 642 immigration records available for the last name Capitan. 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 Capitan immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Capitan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Capitan family history

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What is the average Capitan lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Capitan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1977, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Capitan in 1955 was 46, and 67 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Capitan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Capitan 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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