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Durkes Family History

Durkes Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Durkee, Dukes, Burkes, Dirkes, Duke, Turkel, Ducker, Duris, Durley

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Durkes family from?

You can see how Durkes families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Durkes family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1851 and 1920. The most Durkes families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 7 Durkes families living in London. This was about 39% of all the recorded Durkes's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Durkes families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Durkes 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 Durkes ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Durkes. 35% of Durkes men worked as a Farmer and 25% of Durkes women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Durkes were Miner and Waitress.

View Census Data for Durkes | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    35%
  • Laborer
    18%
  • Machinist
    9%
  • Miner
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    25%
  • Housewife
    25%
  • Housework
    17%
  • Waitress
    17%

What Durkes family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Durkes. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Durkes census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Durkes

Passenger Lists

There are 267 immigration records available for the last name Durkes. 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 Durkes immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 228 military records available for the last name Durkes. For the veterans among your Durkes ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Durkes military records

You've only scratched the surface of Durkes family history

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What is the average Durkes lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Durkes life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1994, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Durkes in 1963 was 65, and 87 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Durkes

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Durkes 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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