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Kara Family History

Kara Surname Meaning

Turkish: ornamental name or nickname from kara ‘black dark(-complexioned)’. Indian (Gujarat): Bhatia name of unexplained etymology.

Czech Slovak and Hungarian: from a pet form of the personal name Czech Karel Slovak Karol Hungarian Károly equivalents of Latin Carolus (see Charles).

Czech and Slovak (Kára): metonymic occupational name for a carter from kára ‘hand cart’.

Polish: nickname derived from karać ‘to punish’.

American shortened form (and Greek feminine form denoting ‘the daughter or wife of’) of Greek Karas.

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


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Where is the Kara family from?

You can see how Kara families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kara family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Kara families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 4 Kara families living in Lancashire. This was about 57% of all the recorded Kara's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Kara families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kara 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 Kara ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Operator were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Kara. 29% of Kara men worked as a Laborer and 20% of Kara women worked as an Operator. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kara were Proprietor and Laborer.

View Census Data for Kara | 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

  • Laborer
    29%
  • Truck Driver
    11%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Proprietor
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Operator
    20%
  • Hemstitcher
    15%
  • Clerk
    10%
  • Laborer
    10%

What Kara family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Kara. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kara census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kara

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Kara. For the veterans among your Kara ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kara military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kara family history

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What is the average Kara lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Kara life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1980. The average life expectancy for Kara in 1952 was 54, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kara

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kara 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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