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Drabble Family History

Drabble Surname Meaning

Perhaps from an unattested Middle English personal name Drabel or Drabil. It is presumably related to the Old English personal name Drabba which is recorded as the name of a Peterborough festerman in 963–92 (Anglo-Saxon Charters) and which may have survived in the surnames of Robert Drabe 1161 in Pipe Rolls (Lincs).

Walter Drabbe, a merchant recorded in 1327 in Subsidy Rolls (Clare Suffolk), and Hillary Drabbe of Saint Ingunger (Lanivet Cornwall) from 1433 in TNA, demonstrate the continuity of the name’s use through the centuries.

The etymology of Drabba is uncertain but possibly derives from a Germanic root meaning ‘to hew out’; Drabel -il has the Old English diminutive suffix -el.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Drabble family from?

You can see how Drabble families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Drabble family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Drabble families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 440 Drabble families living in Yorkshire. This was about 40% of all the recorded Drabble's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Drabble families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Drabble 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 Drabble 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 Drabble. 11% of Drabble men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Drabble women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Drabble were Colliery Hewer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Drabble | 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
    11%
  • Builder contractor
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    6%
  • Colliery Hewer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Drabble family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 20,000 census records available for the last name Drabble. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Drabble census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Drabble

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 980 military records available for the last name Drabble. For the veterans among your Drabble ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Drabble military records

You've only scratched the surface of Drabble family history

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What is the average Drabble lifespan?

Between 1969 and 2003, in the United States, Drabble life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1980, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Drabble in 1969 was 78, and 90 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Drabble

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Drabble 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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