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Leaf Family History

Leaf Surname Meaning

English: nickname from Middle English lef, leff, lief, life ‘beloved’ (Old English lēof ‘beloved; dear one, sweetheart’). English: occasionally perhaps from a Middle English personal name Lef.

This could represent either Old Norse Leifr (see Leif) or Old English Lēof, which though unrecorded, is a very probable short form of Old English names such as Lēofrīc and Lēofwine. Compare Leif.

Americanized form of Swedish Lööf, Löf, or Löv: ornamental name from löv ‘leaf’. Compare Leif, Americanized form (translation into English) of Jewish and German Blatt.

French Canadian Bellefeuille.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Leaf family from?

You can see how Leaf families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Leaf family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Leaf families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 280 Leaf families living in Yorkshire. This was about 56% of all the recorded Leaf's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Leaf families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Leaf 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 Leaf ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Leaf. 32% of Leaf men worked as a General Labourer and 76% of Leaf women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Leaf were Wireless Salesman and Unpaid Domestic Duti.

View Census Data for Leaf | 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

  • General Labourer
    32%
  • Agricultural Labourer
    14%
  • Nurseryhand
    10%
  • Wireless Salesman
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Private Means
    8%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    3%

What Leaf family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Leaf. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Leaf census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Leaf

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Leaf. 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 Leaf immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Leaf military records

You've only scratched the surface of Leaf family history

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What is the average Leaf lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Leaf life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Leaf in 1942 was 26, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Leaf

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Leaf 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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