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Prayer Family History

Prayer Surname Meaning

English: rare variant of Prior. In the US it is found mainly among African Americans. German: variant of Preyer or Breyer ‘brewer’. This surname is very rare in Germany. French (southern): from Old French praier an occupational name for a worker responsible for the maintenance of meadows.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Prayer family from?

You can see how Prayer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Prayer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Prayer families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 5 Prayer families living in Hampshire. This was about 20% of all the recorded Prayer's in United Kingdom. Hampshire and 1 other county had the highest population of Prayer families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Prayer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Prayer ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Tailors Fixer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Prayer. 100% of Prayer men worked as a Tailors Fixer and 100% of Prayer women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Prayer | 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

  • Tailors Fixer
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Prayer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Prayer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Prayer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Prayer

Passenger Lists

There are 198 immigration records available for the last name Prayer. 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 Prayer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Prayer. For the veterans among your Prayer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Prayer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Prayer family history

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What is the average Prayer lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Prayer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1972, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Prayer in 1954 was 65, and 68 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Prayer 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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