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Provost Family History

Provost Surname Meaning

French: northern and western variant of Prévost (see Prevost) and in North America (also) an altered form of this (compare 2 below).

English: occupational name from Middle English provost provest proust ‘provost steward representative’ (Old English prafost) also used for the head of a religious chapter or educational establishment.

Since such officials were usually clergy and celibate, a nickname for a self-important person.

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 Provost family from?

You can see how Provost families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Provost family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Provost families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1891 there were 21 Provost families living in Lancashire. This was about 19% of all the recorded Provost's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Provost families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Provost 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 Provost ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Catering Staff Manager and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Provost. 100% of Provost men worked as a Catering Staff Manager and 92% of Provost women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Provost | 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

  • Catering Staff Manager
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    92%
  • Private Means
    9%

What Provost family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 66,000 census records available for the last name Provost. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Provost census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Provost

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Provost. 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 Provost immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 24,000 military records available for the last name Provost. For the veterans among your Provost ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Provost military records

You've only scratched the surface of Provost family history

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What is the average Provost lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Provost life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Provost in 1942 was 38, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Provost

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Provost 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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