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Cale Family History

Cale Surname Meaning

English: variant of Kale, a habitational name from the villages of East and West Keal in Lincolnshire, which are named from Old Norse kjǫlr ‘ridge’. English: variant of Call. Americanized form of German Kehl or Keil, and also of Kahl. Compare Cail and Kale.

Italian (southern; Calè): variant of Calia. French (Calé): from an adjectival derivative of Old French cale ‘close-fitting cap’, hence a nickname for someone who wore such a cap.

This surname is very rare in France; in North America it may thus (also) be an altered form of some other similar (like-sounding) French surname.

Croatian (Čale, rarely Ćale): nickname from ćale ‘daddy’, also ‘father-in-law’.

7: Possibly also an Americanized form of Dutch Kale.

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


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Where is the Cale family from?

You can see how Cale families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cale family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cale families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 295 Cale families living in London. This was about 21% of all the recorded Cale's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Cale families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cale 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 Cale ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cale. 11% of Cale men worked as a General Labourer and 76% of Cale women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cale were Bricklayer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Cale | 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

  • General Labourer
    11%
  • Farm Carter
    9%
  • House Painter
    7%
  • Bricklayer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Cale family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 84,000 census records available for the last name Cale. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cale census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cale

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Cale. 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 Cale immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Cale. For the veterans among your Cale ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cale military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cale family history

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What is the average Cale lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Cale life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Cale in 1944 was 37, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cale

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cale 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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