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Dubois Family History

Dubois Surname Meaning

French Walloon and English (of French Huguenot origin): topographic name with fused preposition and definite article du ‘from the’ for someone living or working in a wood (see Bois) or a habitational name for someone from any of several places in various parts of France and in Belgium (Wallonia) named Le Bois.

This is the most frequent surname in Wallonia. It is also found in the Flemish part of Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Haiti.

In both England and North America, it is sometimes translated into English as Wood 1 or Woods.

Compare Deboe, Debois, Deboy, Duboise, and Dubose.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Dubois family from?

You can see how Dubois families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dubois family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dubois families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 91 Dubois families living in London. This was about 56% of all the recorded Dubois's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dubois families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dubois 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 Dubois 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 Dubois. 100% of Dubois men worked as an Incapacitated and 81% of Dubois women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Dubois | 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
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    81%
  • Private Means
    9%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    7%
  • Daily Worker
    5%

What Dubois family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 155,000 census records available for the last name Dubois. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dubois census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dubois

Passenger Lists

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Dubois. 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 Dubois immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20,000 military records available for the last name Dubois. For the veterans among your Dubois ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dubois military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dubois family history

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What is the average Dubois lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Dubois life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Dubois in 1944 was 27, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dubois

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dubois 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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