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Padilla Family History

Padilla Surname Meaning

Spanish: habitational name from any of various minor places for example in the provinces of Burgos, Guadalajara, and Valladolid named from Spanish padilla ‘frying pan, breadpan’ (from Latin patella, a diminutive of patina ‘shallow dish’), a word that was commonly used in the topographic sense of a shallow gentle depression.

In the US, this surname is also found among Native Americans (mainly Pueblos).

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Padilla family from?

You can see how Padilla families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Padilla family name was found in the USA between 1880 and 1920. The most Padilla families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 826 Padilla families living in New Mexico. This was about 83% of all the recorded Padilla's in USA. New Mexico had the highest population of Padilla families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Padilla 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 Padilla ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Padilla. 36% of Padilla men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Padilla women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Padilla were Jornalero and Laborer.

View Census Data for Padilla | 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
    36%
  • Farmer
    9%
  • Labrador
    4%
  • Jornalero
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    9%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Housework
    7%
  • Laborer
    7%

What Padilla family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 86,000 census records available for the last name Padilla. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Padilla census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Padilla

Passenger Lists

There are 30,000 immigration records available for the last name Padilla. 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 Padilla immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Padilla. For the veterans among your Padilla ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Padilla military records

You've only scratched the surface of Padilla family history

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What is the average Padilla lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Padilla life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1948. The average life expectancy for Padilla in 1940 was 33, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Padilla

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Padilla 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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