Cardinal Family History

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Cardinal Name Meaning

English, French, Spanish, and Dutch: from Middle English, Old French cardinal ‘cardinal’, the church dignitary (Latin cardinalis, originally an adjective meaning ‘crucial’). The surname may have denoted a servant who worked in a cardinal’s household, but was probably more often bestowed as a nickname on someone who habitually dressed in red or who had played the part of a cardinal in a pageant, or on one who acted in a lordly and patronizing manner, like a prince of the Church.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Cardinale, Carden, Carda, Carmin, Carnal, Harding, Gardin, Farina

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Cardinal Family Origin

Where is the Cardinal family from?

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You can see how Cardinal families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cardinal family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cardinal families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1891 there were 25 Cardinal families living in London. This was about 39% of all the recorded Cardinal's in the UK. London had the highest population of Cardinal families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cardinal surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Cardinal

Cardinal Family Occupations

What did your Cardinal ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the UK named Cardinal. 91% of Cardinal women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties

View Census data for Cardinal | Data not to scale

Top Female Occupations in 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    91%
  • Dairy Farmer
    10%

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Cardinal Historical Records

What Cardinal family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 50,000 census records available for the last name Cardinal. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cardinal census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cardinal

Passenger List

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Cardinal. 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 Cardinal immigration records

Draft Card

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

View all Cardinal military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cardinal family history.

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Cardinal Life Expectancy

What is the average Cardinal lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Cardinal life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Cardinal in 1951 was 44, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cardinal

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cardinal 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.

Famous Cardinal Family Ancestors

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