This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Fails family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Fails Family History

Fails Surname Meaning

Scottish or Irish: shortened form of McPhail with the addition of English post-medieval excrescent -s.

This surname is very rare in Britain.

Compare Fales.

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


Similar surnames: 

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Fails family from?

You can see how Fails families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fails family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fails families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 3 Fails families living in Hampshire. This was about 43% of all the recorded Fails's in United Kingdom. Hampshire had the highest population of Fails families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fails surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Fails ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Fails. 75% of Fails women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Fails | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Domestic (not Working)
    25%

What Fails family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Fails. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fails census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Fails

Passenger Lists

There are 162 immigration records available for the last name Fails. 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 Fails immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Fails. For the veterans among your Fails ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fails military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fails family history

Discover More

What is the average Fails lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Fails life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1967, and highest in 1963. The average life expectancy for Fails in 1944 was 33, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fails

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Fails 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 Fails family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial