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Laforest Family History

Laforest Surname Meaning

French: topographic name for someone who lived in or near a royal forest or a metonymic occupational name for a keeper or worker in one from Old French forest ‘forest’ (see Forest) with fused feminine definite article la;

or a habitational name from Laforest or La Forest, names of several places in various parts of France.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Laforest family from?

You can see how Laforest families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Laforest family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Laforest families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1891 there were 2 Laforest families living in London. This was 100% of all the recorded Laforest's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Laforest families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Laforest 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 Laforest ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Sewing were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Laforest. 37% of Laforest men worked as a Laborer and 15% of Laforest women worked as a Sewing. Some less common occupations for Americans named Laforest were Weaver and Spinner.

View Census Data for Laforest | 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
    37%
  • Truck Driver
    13%
  • Farmer
    11%
  • Weaver
    11%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Sewing
    15%
  • New Worker
    15%
  • Typist
    15%
  • Spinner
    15%

What Laforest family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Laforest. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Laforest census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Laforest

Passenger Lists

There are 878 immigration records available for the last name Laforest. 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 Laforest immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Laforest military records

You've only scratched the surface of Laforest family history

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What is the average Laforest lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Laforest life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1976. The average life expectancy for Laforest in 1951 was 62, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Laforest

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Laforest 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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