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Gift Family History

Gift Surname Meaning

English (Cornwall): from Middle English ʒift(e) gift(e) ‘gift’. The name may have been used as a personal name in the sense ‘gift of God’ with reference to a child; compare Theodore.

This surname is rare in Britain.

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 Gift family from?

You can see how Gift families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gift family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Gift families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 5 Gift families living in Cornwall. This was about 63% of all the recorded Gift's in United Kingdom. Cornwall had the highest population of Gift families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gift 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 Gift ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gift. 21% of Gift men worked as a Farmer and 21% of Gift women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gift were Salesman and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Gift | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    21%
  • Laborer
    21%
  • Machinist
    10%
  • Salesman
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    21%
  • Secretary
    12%
  • Teacher
    10%
  • Stenographer
    8%

What Gift family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Gift. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gift census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gift

Passenger Lists

There are 312 immigration records available for the last name Gift. 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 Gift immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Gift military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gift family history

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What is the average Gift lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Gift life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Gift in 1947 was 40, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gift

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gift 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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