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Greek Family History

Greek Surname Meaning

Americanized form of German Krieg and perhaps also of Dutch Kriek (see Creek). English (Devon): ethnic name for someone from Greece Middle English grek greik.

There seems also to have been some confusion with Gregg and its variants.

In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages e.g. Italian Greco.

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


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Where is the Greek family from?

You can see how Greek families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Greek family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Greek families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 13 Greek families living in Devon. This was about 32% of all the recorded Greek's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Greek families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Greek 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 Greek ancestors do for a living?

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

View Census Data for Greek | 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 Greek family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Greek. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Greek census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Greek

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 14,000 military records available for the last name Greek. For the veterans among your Greek ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Greek military records

You've only scratched the surface of Greek family history

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What is the average Greek lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Greek life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Greek in 1946 was 52, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Greek

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

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