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Dafoe Family History

Dafoe Surname Meaning

Variant of Defoe a surname of English or (Swiss) French origin.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Dafoe family from?

You can see how Dafoe families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dafoe family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Dafoe families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1891 there were 2 Dafoe families living in London. This was 100% of all the recorded Dafoe's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dafoe families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dafoe 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 Dafoe ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Student were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Dafoe. 51% of Dafoe men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Dafoe women worked as a Student. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dafoe were Engineer and Teacher.

View Census Data for Dafoe | 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.

Canada shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    51%
  • Farmers Son
    7%
  • Labourer
    6%
  • Engineer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Student
    34%
  • Bookkeeper
    23%
  • Domestic
    12%
  • Teacher
    12%

What Dafoe family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Dafoe. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dafoe census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dafoe

Passenger Lists

There are 720 immigration records available for the last name Dafoe. 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 Dafoe immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 736 military records available for the last name Dafoe. For the veterans among your Dafoe ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dafoe military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dafoe family history

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What is the average Dafoe lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Dafoe life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1973, and highest in 1963. The average life expectancy for Dafoe in 1957 was 54, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dafoe

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dafoe 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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