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Draper Family History

Draper Surname Meaning

English: occupational name for a maker and seller of woolen cloth from Anglo-Norman draper (Old French drapier an agent derivative of drap ‘cloth’).

The surname was introduced to Ulster in the 17th century.

Draperstown in County Londonderry was named for the London Company of Drapers which was allocated the land in the early 17th century.

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


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Where is the Draper family from?

You can see how Draper families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Draper family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Draper families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,096 Draper families living in London. This was about 15% of all the recorded Draper's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Draper families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Draper 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 Draper 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 Draper. 8% of Draper men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Draper women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Draper were Farm Labourer and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Draper | 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
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Farm Labourer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Draper family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 261,000 census records available for the last name Draper. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Draper census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Draper

Passenger Lists

There are 31,000 immigration records available for the last name Draper. 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 Draper immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 30,000 military records available for the last name Draper. For the veterans among your Draper ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Draper military records

You've only scratched the surface of Draper family history

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What is the average Draper lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Draper life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Draper in 1944 was 47, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Draper

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Draper 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Draper family tree

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