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Ess Family History

Ess Surname Meaning

North German: topographic name for someone living on or owning land that was waterlogged or partly surrounded by water from Middle Low German es ‘swamp water’.

Swiss German: from the topographic name Ess ‘grazing area pasture’.

Swiss German: from a vernacular short form of the personal name Oswald.

American shortened form of Dutch Van Ess.

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 Ess family from?

You can see how Ess families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ess family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ess families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 20 Ess families living in Norfolk. This was about 45% of all the recorded Ess's in United Kingdom. Norfolk had the highest population of Ess families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ess 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 Ess ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farm Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Ess. 100% of Ess men worked as a Farm Labourer and 85% of Ess women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Ess | 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

  • Farm Labourer
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    85%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    16%

What Ess family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Ess. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ess census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ess

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Ess. For the veterans among your Ess ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ess military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ess family history

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What is the average Ess lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Ess life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1998, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Ess in 1959 was 51, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ess

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ess 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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