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Smiles Family History

Smiles Surname Meaning

English (Northumberland and Durham): apparently a variant of Smile with excrescent -s a nickname from Middle English smile ‘smile’ used for a cheerful person or perhaps ironically for a grumpy person.

Variant of Smales and Smailes. These names may also have been confused with Miles.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Smiles family from?

You can see how Smiles families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Smiles family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Smiles families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 255 Smiles families living in Durham. This was about 42% of all the recorded Smiles's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Smiles families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Smiles 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 Smiles 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 Smiles. 45% of Smiles men worked as a General Labourer and 88% of Smiles women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Smiles were Manager Secretary Salesman and Unpaid Domestic Duti.

View Census Data for Smiles | 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
    45%
  • Colliery Hewer Below
    12%
  • Boiler Maker Retired
    8%
  • Manager Secretary Salesman
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    88%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    3%

What Smiles family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Smiles. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Smiles census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Smiles

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Smiles military records

You've only scratched the surface of Smiles family history

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What is the average Smiles lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Smiles life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1972, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Smiles in 1956 was 56, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Smiles

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Smiles 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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