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Rack Family History

Rack Surname Meaning

German (also Räck): from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with rag- from ragin ‘advice counsel’. German: nickname in the south from Middle High German rac ‘taut stiff; flexible free’ in the north from Middle Low German rak ‘proper orderly exact’.

German (also Räck): nickname from the dialect word Rack(e) ‘crow’. Germanized or Americanized form of Polish Sorbian Ukrainian Rusyn Belorussian Czech Slovak Slovenian Croatian and Serbian Rak ‘crayfish’ Hungarian Rák and a variant of the same Jewish surname.

In part it is a Gottscheerish (i.e. Gottschee German) surname originating from the Kočevsko region in Lower Carniola Slovenia (see Kocevar).

English: perhaps a nickname from Middle English rak rack(e) ‘storm cloud’ used for someone of a brooding demeanor.

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


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Where is the Rack family from?

You can see how Rack families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rack family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rack families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 65 Rack families living in Lincolnshire. This was about 37% of all the recorded Rack's in United Kingdom. Lincolnshire had the highest population of Rack families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rack 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 Rack 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 Rack. 100% of Rack men worked as a General Labourer and 95% of Rack women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Rack | 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
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    95%
  • Housewife
    6%

What Rack family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Rack. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rack census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Rack

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Rack. 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 Rack immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Rack military records

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What is the average Rack lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Rack life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1964, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Rack in 1962 was 60, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rack

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Rack 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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