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Tesla Family History

Tesla Surname Meaning

Serbian and Croatian; Slovak (Tešla and Tešľa): metonymic occupational name for a carpenter from Serbian and Croatian tesla.

Slovak tešla means ‘adze’.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Tesla family from?

You can see how Tesla families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tesla family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1891 and 1920. The most Tesla families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 3 Tesla families living in Kent. This was about 60% of all the recorded Tesla's in United Kingdom. Kent had the highest population of Tesla families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tesla surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Tesla ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Operator were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Tesla. 73% of Tesla men worked as a Laborer and 34% of Tesla women worked as an Operator. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tesla were Attendant and Beauty Operator.

View Census Data for Tesla | 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
    73%
  • Attendant
    28%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Operator
    34%
  • Teacher
    34%
  • Beauty Operator
    34%

What Tesla family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 592 census records available for the last name Tesla. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tesla census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Tesla

Passenger Lists

There are 342 immigration records available for the last name Tesla. 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 Tesla immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 190 military records available for the last name Tesla. For the veterans among your Tesla ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tesla military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tesla family history

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What is the average Tesla lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Tesla life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1972, and highest in 1966. The average life expectancy for Tesla in 1963 was 70, and 93 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tesla 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 Tesla family tree

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