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Som Family History

Som Surname Meaning

Indian (West Bengal and southern states) and Bangladeshi: from Sanskrit soma ‘moon’. Compare Soman.

Cambodian: written សោម from a Khmer word of Sanskrit origin (see 1 above) meaning e.g. ‘moon’ and ‘wind’.

Hungarian: probably a nickname for someone with a sour disposition from som a sour-tasting forest fruit.

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


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Where is the Som family from?

You can see how Som families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Som family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Som families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 11 Som families living in London. This was about 18% of all the recorded Som's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Som families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Som 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 Som ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Som. 46% of Som men worked as a Laborer and 50% of Som women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Som were Farm and Housewife.

View Census Data for Som | 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

  • Laborer
    46%
  • Farmer
    25%
  • Baker
    13%
  • Farm
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    50%
  • Housewife
    50%

What Som family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Som. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Som census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Som

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Som. 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 Som immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Som. For the veterans among your Som ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Som military records

You've only scratched the surface of Som family history

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What is the average Som lifespan?

Between 1968 and 2004, in the United States, Som life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1977, and highest in 1979. The average life expectancy for Som in 1968 was 76, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Som

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Som 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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