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Dana Family History

Dana Surname Meaning

Probably an altered form of English Dawney or Dawnay (see Dawn) cognates of French Daunay (see Donais). Czech and Slovak (Daňa); Polish and Hungarian: from a short form of the personal name Daniel (Hungarian Dániel) or perhaps from a short form of any of various Slavic compound personal names formed with the element dan ‘given’.

For example, Czech Danomír and Bohdan Polish Bogdan. Albanian: nickname or metonymic occupational name from danë (definite form dana) ‘pincers’.

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


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Where is the Dana family from?

You can see how Dana families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dana family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dana families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 22 Dana families living in London. This was about 33% of all the recorded Dana's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dana families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dana 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 Dana ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Dana. 70% of Dana women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Dana | 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
    70%
  • Private Means
    16%
  • Housewife (unpaid)
    16%

What Dana family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 37,000 census records available for the last name Dana. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dana census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dana

Passenger Lists

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

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Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Dana. For the veterans among your Dana ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Dana lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Dana life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Dana in 1945 was 49, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dana

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dana 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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