Captain Family History

Captain Surname Meaning

Americanized form (translation into English) of French Capitaine, Dutch Captein or Kaptein, Italian Capitano, German and Polish or other Slavic Kapitan, Hungarian Kapitány, and Greek Kapetanos, all status names from a title meaning ‘captain’ (ultimately from Late Latin capitaneus ‘chief’ ‘principal’ from caput ‘head’), used to denote a master of a ship, a high-ranking official, a headman, or a person of military rank.

In North America, the surname Captain may also be derived (shortened and translated) from various Greek patronymics and other derivatives, e.g. Kapetanopoulos.

Compare Capitan.

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

Similar surnames: Cantlin, Chastain, Mastin, Caplin, Cantin, Certain, Pappan, Caplan, Curtain, Capan

10K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
89K	Military Records
6K	Immigration Records
7K	Census and Voter Lists
27K	Member Trees

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

Where is the Captain family from?

You can see how Captain families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Captain family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Captain families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 8 Captain families living in Channel Islands. This was about 57% of all the recorded Captain's in United Kingdom. Channel Islands had the highest population of Captain families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Captain surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Captain

What did your Captain ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid domestic duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Captain.

View Census Data for Captain

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.

Unpaid domestic duties

100%

What Captain family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 7K census records available for the last name Captain. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Captain census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Captain

Passenger List

There are 6K immigration records available for the last name Captain. 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 Captain immigration records

Military Records

There are 89K military records available for the last name Captain. For the veterans among your Captain ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Captain military records

You've only scratched the surface of Captain family history

Discover More

What is the average Captain lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Captain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Captain in 1961 was 50, and 78 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Captain family tree

Explore Your Tree

Search for another surname

Captain Surname Meaning

In North America, the surname Captain may also be derived (shortened and translated) from various Greek patronymics and other derivatives, e.g. Kapetanopoulos.

Compare Capitan.

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

Where is the Captain family from?

What did your Captain ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid domestic duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Captain.

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.

Unpaid domestic duties

100%

What Captain family records will you find?

What is the average Captain lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Captain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Captain in 1961 was 50, and 78 in 2004.

Captain Family History

Captain Surname Meaning

141,000 record(s) for Captain

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

Where is the Captain family from?

What did your Captain ancestors do for a living?

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Captain family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Captain family history

What is the average Captain lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Captain family tree

Search for another surname

Captain Surname Meaning

141,000 record(s) for Captain

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

Where is the Captain family from?

What did your Captain ancestors do for a living?

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Captain family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Captain family history

What is the average Captain lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Captain family tree

Search for another surname