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Cape Family History

Cape Name Meaning

English (northern): metonymic occupational name for a maker of capes and cloaks or perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually wore a cloak or cape from Middle English and Old Norman French cape ‘cape cloak hooded cloak’ from Late Latin cappa capa probably a derivative of caput ‘head’ (see Capp ). There is also an Old English word cāpe ‘cape cloak’ from the same Late Latin word but the normal development of this in southern England was Middle English cope (see Cope ). French (Capé): nickname for someone who habitually wore a cape (see 1 above).

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


Similar surnames: Capel, Cope, Cave, Cane, Cade, Cap, Pape, Capp, Cage, Cale

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Cape family from?

You can see how Cape families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cape family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cape families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 171 Cape families living in Cumberland. This was about 20% of all the recorded Cape's in United Kingdom. Cumberland had the highest population of Cape families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cape surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Cape 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 Cape. 16% of Cape men worked as a General Labourer and 75% of Cape women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cape were Incapacitated and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Cape | 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
    16%
  • Retired
    11%
  • Dairy Farmer
    11%
  • Incapacitated
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Cape family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Cape. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cape census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cape

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Cape. 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 Cape immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Cape. For the veterans among your Cape ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cape military records

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What is the average Cape lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Cape life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Cape in 1948 was 23, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cape

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