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Fonseca Family History

Fonseca Surname Meaning

Spanish and Portuguese: habitational name from any of several places called for a spring that dried up during the summer months from fonte seca ‘dry well’.

Jewish (Sephardic): adoption of the Iberian surname (see 1 above) at the moment of conversion to Roman Catholicism.

After the return to Judaism (generations later) some descendants retained the name their families used as Catholics.

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


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Where is the Fonseca family from?

You can see how Fonseca families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fonseca family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Fonseca families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 16 Fonseca families living in London. This was about 67% of all the recorded Fonseca's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Fonseca families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fonseca 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 Fonseca ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Fonseca. 100% of Fonseca women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Fonseca | 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
    100%

What Fonseca family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 18,000 census records available for the last name Fonseca. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fonseca census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Fonseca

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Fonseca. 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 Fonseca immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Fonseca. For the veterans among your Fonseca ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fonseca military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fonseca family history

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What is the average Fonseca lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Fonseca life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Fonseca in 1945 was 52, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fonseca

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

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