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Chaves Family History

Chaves Surname Meaning

Portuguese: habitational name from a place in the province of Tras-os-Montes named Chaves from Latin (aquis) Flaviis ‘(at the) waters of Flavius’. The place was the site of sulfurous springs with supposedly health-giving properties around which a settlement was founded in the 1st century AD by the Emperor Vespasian.

Portuguese and Galician: habitational name from any of numerous places called Chaves generally from the plural of chave ‘key’ from Latin clavis.

Irish and English: variant of Chivers. Compare Chavers.

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


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Where is the Chaves family from?

You can see how Chaves families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chaves family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Chaves families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 11 Chaves families living in Warwickshire. This was about 31% of all the recorded Chaves's in United Kingdom. Warwickshire had the highest population of Chaves families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chaves 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 Chaves ancestors do for a living?

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

View Census Data for Chaves | 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 Chaves family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 39,000 census records available for the last name Chaves. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chaves census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Chaves

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Chaves. 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 Chaves immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Chaves military records

You've only scratched the surface of Chaves family history

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What is the average Chaves lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Chaves life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Chaves in 1949 was 39, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chaves

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Chaves 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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