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Sara Family History

Sara Surname Meaning

Italian and Jewish; Hungarian (Sára): from the female personal name Sara borne in the Bible by the wife of Abraham, mother of Isaac. According to the Book of Genesis, she was originally called Sarai (said to mean ‘contentious’ in Hebrew) but had her name changed by God to the more auspicious Sarah ‘princess’ in token of a greater blessing (Genesis 17:15 ‘And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be’).

Compare Sarah English (Cornwall): from the Middle English and Old French female personal name Sare Sarre (modern English Sarah), Latinized as Sarra and borrowed from Greek Sarra, a Hellenized form of Hebrew Sarai (see 1 above). The personal name was widely used in medieval England, especially in the southern and eastern counties.

Compare Sarratt and Sarson. Spanish; unexplained. It is found in Navarre and Extremadura.

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


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Where is the Sara family from?

You can see how Sara families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sara family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sara families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 122 Sara families living in Cornwall. This was about 51% of all the recorded Sara's in United Kingdom. Cornwall had the highest population of Sara families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sara 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 Sara ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farm Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Sara. 17% of Sara men worked as a Farm Labourer and 70% of Sara women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sara were General Engineer and Unpaid House Duties.

View Census Data for Sara | 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 Labourer
    17%
  • Engine Fitter
    17%
  • General Labourer
    17%
  • General Engineer
    17%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Domestic Duties
    8%
  • Domestic Unpaid
    5%
  • Unpaid House Duties
    5%

What Sara family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Sara. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sara census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Sara

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Sara. 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 Sara immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Sara. For the veterans among your Sara ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Sara family history

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What is the average Sara lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Sara life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1964, and highest in 1975. The average life expectancy for Sara in 1940 was 54, and 85 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sara

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Sara 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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