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Nightingale Family History

Nightingale Surname Meaning

English: nickname for someone with a good voice from Middle English nightegale ‘nightingale’ (Old English nihtegale from niht ‘night’ + galan ‘sing’).

The bird is known as a sweet singer.

Probably an Americanized form (translation into English) of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Nachtigall or cognates in other languages.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Nightingale family from?

You can see how Nightingale families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Nightingale family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Nightingale families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,224 Nightingale families living in Lancashire. This was about 26% of all the recorded Nightingale's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Nightingale families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Nightingale 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 Nightingale 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 Nightingale. 10% of Nightingale men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Nightingale women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Nightingale were Dairy Farmer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Nightingale | 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
    10%
  • Insurance Agent
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Dairy Farmer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Cotton Weaver
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Nightingale family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 116,000 census records available for the last name Nightingale. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Nightingale census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Nightingale

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Nightingale. 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 Nightingale immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Nightingale. For the veterans among your Nightingale ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Nightingale military records

You've only scratched the surface of Nightingale family history

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What is the average Nightingale lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Nightingale life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Nightingale in 1948 was 46, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Nightingale

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Nightingale 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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