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Frances Family History

Frances Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): variant of Francis. Spanish (Francés) and Portuguese (Francês); French (southern) and Catalan (Francès): from an ethnic name meaning ‘Frenchman’ (see Francis).

Breton (Francès): from an altered form of the French personal name François (see Francois).

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Frances family from?

You can see how Frances families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Frances family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Frances families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 653 Frances families living in London. This was about 20% of all the recorded Frances's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Frances families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Frances 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 Frances 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 Frances. 16% of Frances men worked as a General Labourer and 64% of Frances women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Frances were Gardener and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Frances | 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
    16%
  • Builders Labourer
    8%
  • Incapacitated
    6%
  • Gardener
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    64%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Frances family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 84,000 census records available for the last name Frances. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Frances census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Frances

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Frances. 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 Frances immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Frances military records

You've only scratched the surface of Frances family history

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What is the average Frances lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Frances life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Frances in 1941 was 40, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Frances

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Frances 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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