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Damian Family History

Damian Surname Meaning

Spanish (Damián), German, Romanian, Italian, and Polish derive from the personal name Damián or Damian respectively, which originates from the Greek Damianos (from damazein meaning ‘to subdue’) and Latin Damianus. Saint Damian was an early Christian saint martyred in Cilicia in AD 303 under the emperor Domitian, together with his brother Cosmas (see Kosmas).

In some accounts, the brothers are said to have been doctors, and together they were regarded as the patrons of physicians and apothecaries. A later Saint Damian lived in the 7th–8th centuries and was the bishop of Pavia; he may have had some influence on the popularity of the personal name in Italy.

This surname is also found among Rusyns (Lemkos). In some cases, it is probably also French (southern France and Lorraine), derived from a variant of the personal name Damien, which is a cognate of the aforementioned names.

Additionally, it may represent an Americanized form of Slovenian and Croatian Damjan or Damijan, stemming from the personal name Dam(i)jan.

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


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Where is the Damian family from?

You can see how Damian families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Damian family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Damian families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 3 Damian families living in Durham. This was about 30% of all the recorded Damian's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Damian families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Damian 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 Damian ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and None were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Damian. 49% of Damian men worked as a Laborer and 20% of Damian women worked as a None. Some less common occupations for Americans named Damian were Bartender and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Damian | 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
    49%
  • Foreman
    8%
  • Beet Laborer
    8%
  • Bartender
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • None
    20%
  • Teacher
    16%
  • Assembler
    16%
  • Stenographer
    8%

What Damian family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Damian. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Damian census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Damian

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Damian. For the veterans among your Damian ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Damian military records

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What is the average Damian lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Damian life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1963. The average life expectancy for Damian in 1960 was 32, and 63 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Damian

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Damian 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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