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Sones Family History

Sones Surname Meaning

English (Suffolk): perhaps an altered form of Soames; see Somes. Variant of Soane with post-medieval excrescent -s (see Son). The -o- in Middle English and early modern English son(e) is a conventional spelling of /u/ before an n.

This /u/ became /ʌ/ in Standard English hence the current pronunciation of Son. If /u/ was lengthened it became /o:/ in Middle English and then /u:/ in modern English hence the occasional spelling Soon.

In some speakers' dialects, however, it seems that Middle English /u/ may have been lowered to /ɔ/ and lengthened to /ɔ:/ becoming modern English /əu/ represented in the spelling Soane.

At any rate, Soon and Soane (also Sone) appear together in the same counties and are presumably alternative pronunciations of the same name.

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


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Where is the Sones family from?

You can see how Sones families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sones family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sones families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 86 Sones families living in Lancashire. This was about 18% of all the recorded Sones's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Sones families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sones 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 Sones ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Gardener and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Sones. 60% of Sones men worked as a Gardener and 70% of Sones women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sones were General Labourer and Household Duties (unpaid).

View Census Data for Sones | 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

  • Gardener
    60%
  • General Labourer
    40%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    7%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Household Duties (unpaid)
    4%

What Sones family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 14,000 census records available for the last name Sones. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sones census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

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

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Draft Cards

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

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What is the average Sones lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Sones life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Sones in 1957 was 47, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sones

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Sones 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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