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Certain Family History

Certain Surname Meaning

English: altered form of Sartain.

French: nickname from certain ‘certain resolute’

a derivative of Old French certise ‘certitude’.

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 Certain family from?

You can see how Certain families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Certain family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1840 and 1920. The most Certain families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 5 Certain families living in Hampshire. This was about 71% of all the recorded Certain's in United Kingdom. Hampshire had the highest population of Certain families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Certain 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 Certain ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and New Worker were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Certain. 33% of Certain men worked as a Laborer and 16% of Certain women worked as a New Worker. Some less common occupations for Americans named Certain were Salesman and Cook.

View Census Data for Certain | 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
    33%
  • Farmer
    27%
  • Truck Driver
    8%
  • Salesman
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • New Worker
    16%
  • Housework
    16%
  • Seamstress
    16%
  • Cook
    11%

What Certain family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Certain

Passenger Lists

There are 339 immigration records available for the last name Certain. 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 Certain immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Certain. For the veterans among your Certain ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Certain military records

You've only scratched the surface of Certain family history

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What is the average Certain lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Certain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Certain in 1957 was 45, and 65 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Certain

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

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