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Raaf Family History

Raaf Surname Meaning

German: variant of Raab (see Rabe) a cognate of the Dutch names below.

Dutch (De Raaf): from Dutch raaf Middle Dutch rave ‘raven’ a nickname for a thievish or dark-haired man. Compare Rave.

Dutch (Van der Raaf): habitational name for someone living at a house distinguished by the sign of a raven (see 2 above).

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 Raaf family from?

You can see how Raaf families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Raaf family name was found in the USA between 1880 and 1920. The most Raaf families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 36 Raaf families living in Missouri. This was about 43% of all the recorded Raaf's in USA. Missouri had the highest population of Raaf families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Raaf 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 Raaf ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeping were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Raaf. 47% of Raaf men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Raaf women worked as a Housekeeping. Some less common occupations for Americans named Raaf were Farm Laborer and Telephone Operator.

View Census Data for Raaf | 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
    47%
  • Bricklayer
    12%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Farm Laborer
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeping
    50%
  • Telephone Operator
    50%

What Raaf family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Raaf. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Raaf census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Raaf

Passenger Lists

There are 391 immigration records available for the last name Raaf. 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 Raaf immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 658 military records available for the last name Raaf. For the veterans among your Raaf ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Raaf military records

You've only scratched the surface of Raaf family history

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What is the average Raaf lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Raaf life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1972, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Raaf in 1963 was 84, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Raaf

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Raaf 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 Raaf family tree

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