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Spanish Family History

Spanish Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Stanish, Stanich, Standish, Spanos, Stanis, Spanier, Danish, Panich

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Spanish family from?

You can see how Spanish families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Spanish family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Spanish families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 24 Spanish families living in Florida. This was about 52% of all the recorded Spanish's in USA. Florida had the highest population of Spanish families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Spanish 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 Spanish ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Spanish. 78% of Spanish men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Spanish women worked as a Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Spanish | 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
    78%
  • New Worker
    23%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    100%

What Spanish family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Spanish

Passenger Lists

There are 94 immigration records available for the last name Spanish. 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 Spanish immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Spanish military records

You've only scratched the surface of Spanish family history

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What is the average Spanish lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2003, in the United States, Spanish life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1975, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Spanish in 1963 was 82, and 83 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Spanish

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Spanish 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Spanish family tree

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