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Hobby Family History

Hobby Surname Meaning

English:: from the Middle English personal name Hoby a shortened form of Hobin. See Hobbins. Occasionally perhaps a nickname from Middle English hobi ‘small species of hawk’ (Old French hobet hobé a diminutive form of Old French hobe ‘small bird of prey’).

Possibly from a Middle English personal name Oby with prosthetic H-. This would be identical in origin with Opie a Cornwall and Devon pet form of Osbert (see Hobart) or Osbern (see Osborne).

Habitational name from Hoby (Leicestershire) from Old English hōh ‘heel, spur of land’ + Old Norse bȳ ‘farmstead, village’.

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


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Where is the Hobby family from?

You can see how Hobby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hobby family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hobby families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 97 Hobby families living in Hampshire. This was about 24% of all the recorded Hobby's in United Kingdom. Hampshire had the highest population of Hobby families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hobby 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 Hobby ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Hobby. 17% of Hobby men worked as a Farmer and 75% of Hobby women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hobby were Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Hobby | 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

  • Farmer
    17%
  • Gardener
    10%
  • Police Constable
    10%
  • Incapacitated
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Domestic Servant
    5%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%

What Hobby family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 21,000 census records available for the last name Hobby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hobby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Hobby

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Hobby. For the veterans among your Hobby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hobby military records

You've only scratched the surface of Hobby family history

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What is the average Hobby lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Hobby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1987. The average life expectancy for Hobby in 1953 was 51, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hobby

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Hobby 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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