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Chain Family History

Chain Surname Meaning

Altered form of Scottish (of Norman origin) Chiene: habitational name from Quesney a place in Manche France.

French: from Old French chain a device for catching birds possibly applied as a metonymic occupational name for a bird-catcher or a hunter.

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


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Where is the Chain family from?

You can see how Chain families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chain family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Chain families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 5 Chain families living in Lancashire. This was about 26% of all the recorded Chain's in United Kingdom. Lancashire and 1 other county had the highest population of Chain families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chain 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 Chain ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Chain. 100% of Chain women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Chain | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Chain family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Chain. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chain census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Chain

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Chain. For the veterans among your Chain ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Chain military records

You've only scratched the surface of Chain family history

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What is the average Chain lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Chain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1962. The average life expectancy for Chain in 1954 was 51, and 64 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chain

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

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