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Denis Family History

Denis Surname Meaning

French Walloon Breton West Indian (mainly Haiti) German Dutch English and Portuguese; Spanish and Galician (Denís): from the personal name Denis

Spanish and Galician Denís from Latin Dionysius ‘(follower) of Dionysos’ (see Dennis).

Compare Dennee. Ukrainian and Rusyn: variant transliteration of Denys

a cognate of 1 above.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Denis family from?

You can see how Denis families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Denis family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Denis families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1891 there were 37 Denis families living in Channel Islands. This was about 15% of all the recorded Denis's in United Kingdom. Channel Islands and 1 other county had the highest population of Denis families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Denis 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 Denis ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Denis. 20% of Denis men worked as an Incapacitated and 85% of Denis women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Denis were Belt Sander and House Wife.

View Census Data for Denis | 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

  • Incapacitated
    20%
  • Motor Driver
    20%
  • General Labourer
    20%
  • Belt Sander
    20%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    85%
  • Domestic Duties
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • House Wife
    5%

What Denis family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 75,000 census records available for the last name Denis. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Denis census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Denis

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Denis. 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 Denis immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Denis. For the veterans among your Denis ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Denis military records

You've only scratched the surface of Denis family history

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What is the average Denis lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Denis life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Denis in 1952 was 37, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Denis

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Denis 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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