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Perkin Family History

Perkin Surname Meaning

English: variant of Parkin. Probably an Americanized form of Swiss German Bürgin (see Burgy).

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


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Where is the Perkin family from?

You can see how Perkin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Perkin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Perkin families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 361 Perkin families living in Yorkshire. This was about 20% of all the recorded Perkin's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Perkin families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Perkin 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 Perkin 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 Perkin. 18% of Perkin men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Perkin women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Perkin were Retired and Private Means.

View Census Data for Perkin | 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
    18%
  • Farmer
    10%
  • Fisherman
    8%
  • Retired
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Perkin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 34,000 census records available for the last name Perkin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Perkin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Perkin

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Perkin. 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 Perkin immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Perkin. For the veterans among your Perkin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Perkin military records

You've only scratched the surface of Perkin family history

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What is the average Perkin lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Perkin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1991, and highest in 1981. The average life expectancy for Perkin in 1960 was 60, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Perkin

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Perkin 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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