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Tess Family History

Tess Surname Meaning

German: from a Germanized short form of any of various Slavic personal names with the first element teš ‘to comfort to console’

(see Tesch and Tessmer).

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 Tess family from?

You can see how Tess families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tess family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Tess families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2 Tess families living in London. This was about 50% of all the recorded Tess's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Tess families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tess 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 Tess ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Tess. 100% of Tess women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Tess | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Tess family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Tess. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tess census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Tess

Passenger Lists

There are 385 immigration records available for the last name Tess. 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 Tess immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 400 military records available for the last name Tess. For the veterans among your Tess ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tess military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tess family history

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What is the average Tess lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Tess life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Tess in 1950 was 30, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tess

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tess 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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