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Curtis Family History

Curtis Surname Meaning

English: nickname for a refined person sometimes perhaps given ironically from Middle English.

Old French courteis courtois curtis ‘courtly refined urbane’.

(derivative of Old French court; see Court).

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


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Where is the Curtis family from?

You can see how Curtis families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Curtis family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Curtis families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2,887 Curtis families living in London. This was about 17% of all the recorded Curtis's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Curtis families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Curtis 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 Curtis ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Curtis. 7% of Curtis men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Curtis women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Curtis were Gardener and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Curtis | 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 Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Gardener
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Curtis family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 860,000 census records available for the last name Curtis. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Curtis census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Curtis

Passenger Lists

There are 69,000 immigration records available for the last name Curtis. 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 Curtis immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 133,000 military records available for the last name Curtis. For the veterans among your Curtis ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Curtis military records

You've only scratched the surface of Curtis family history

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What is the average Curtis lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Curtis life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Curtis in 1940 was 50, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Curtis

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Curtis 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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