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Earp Family History

Earp Surname Meaning

English (Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Derbyshire): nickname from Middle English erp, irpe, orp, an unrecorded survival of Old English earp, ierpe, and eorp ‘swarthy’.

Americanized form of German Erp.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Earp family from?

You can see how Earp families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Earp family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Earp families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 232 Earp families living in Staffordshire. This was about 21% of all the recorded Earp's in United Kingdom. Staffordshire had the highest population of Earp families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Earp surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Earp 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 Earp. 12% of Earp men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Earp women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Earp were Market Gardener Own Account and Housewife.

View Census Data for Earp | 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
    12%
  • Retired
    7%
  • Grocer
    5%
  • Market Gardener Own Account
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Earp family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 31,000 census records available for the last name Earp. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Earp census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Earp

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Earp. 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 Earp immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Earp military records

You've only scratched the surface of Earp family history

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What is the average Earp lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Earp life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Earp in 1950 was 43, and 70 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Earp 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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