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Rank Family History

Rank Surname Meaning

English: nickname for a powerfully built man or someone of violent emotions from Middle English rank ‘proud headstrong stout-hearted’ (Old English ranc ‘proud rebellious’). English: from a Middle English personal name Ranke, a back-formation from the diminutive Rankin.

South German: variant of Rang. This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). North German: nickname for someone who was tall and thin from Middle Low German rank. The surname may also be from a personal name formed with this element.

Czech: from a pet form of a personal name which could be either Slavic Ranožir based on the element ran ‘early’ or ancient Germanic Randolf (see Randolph).

Swedish and Danish: nickname from rank ‘erect upright straight’.

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


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Where is the Rank family from?

You can see how Rank families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rank family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rank families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 58 Rank families living in Yorkshire. This was about 39% of all the recorded Rank's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Rank families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rank 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 Rank ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farm Worker and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Rank. 28% of Rank men worked as a Farm Worker and 90% of Rank women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rank were Flour Miller and Housewife.

View Census Data for Rank | 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

  • Farm Worker
    28%
  • Master Butcher
    19%
  • General Labourer
    19%
  • Flour Miller
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    90%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
  • Housewife
    4%

What Rank family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 33,000 census records available for the last name Rank. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rank census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Rank

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 131,000 military records available for the last name Rank. For the veterans among your Rank ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rank military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rank family history

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What is the average Rank lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Rank life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1987. The average life expectancy for Rank in 1946 was 31, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rank

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Rank 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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