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Samar Family History

Samar Surname Meaning

Filipino: habitational name for someone from the province of Samar in the Visayan Islands. The name of the province may have come from the word samad meaning ‘cut wound’ by extension ‘trench’.

Filipino: nickname or metonymic occupational name from the Ilokano word samar meaning ‘ray of light’ and ‘sap of coconut palm’.

American shortened form of Greek Samaras.

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


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Where is the Samar family from?

You can see how Samar families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Samar family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Samar families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 5 Samar families living in Yorkshire. This was about 83% of all the recorded Samar's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Samar families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Samar 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 Samar ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Samar. 25% of Samar men worked as a Farmer and 27% of Samar women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Samar were Farm Laborer and Laundress.

View Census Data for Samar | 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
    25%
  • Salesman
    22%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Farm Laborer
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    27%
  • Clerk
    20%
  • Secretary
    14%
  • Laundress
    14%

What Samar family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Samar

Passenger Lists

There are 326 immigration records available for the last name Samar. 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 Samar immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 640 military records available for the last name Samar. For the veterans among your Samar ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Samar military records

You've only scratched the surface of Samar family history

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What is the average Samar lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Samar life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1981, and highest in 1985. The average life expectancy for Samar in 1960 was 74, and 87 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Samar

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Samar 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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