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Prairie Family History

Prairie Surname Meaning

French Canadian: shortened form of Laprairie or a topographic name from French prairie ‘meadow pasture’.

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


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Prairie family from?

You can see how Prairie families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Prairie family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Prairie families were found in USA in 1920. In 1861 there were 6 Prairie families living in Angus. This was 100% of all the recorded Prairie's in Scotland. Angus had the highest population of Prairie families in 1861.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Prairie 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 Prairie ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Prairie. 16% of Prairie men worked as a Farmer and 22% of Prairie women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Prairie were Carpenter and Bookkeeper.

View Census Data for Prairie | 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

  • Farmer
    16%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Machinist
    8%
  • Carpenter
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    22%
  • Secretary
    22%
  • Housewife
    22%
  • Bookkeeper
    22%

What Prairie family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Prairie. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Prairie census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Prairie

Passenger Lists

There are 321 immigration records available for the last name Prairie. 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 Prairie immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Prairie. For the veterans among your Prairie ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Prairie military records

You've only scratched the surface of Prairie family history

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What is the average Prairie lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2003, in the United States, Prairie life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1996, and highest in 1964. The average life expectancy for Prairie in 1960 was 72, and 78 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Prairie

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Prairie 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Prairie family tree

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