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Cousin Family History

Cousin Name Meaning

French: nickname from Old French cusin cosin ‘first cousin’ from Latin consobrinus used (also) in the sense ‘friend crony’. Compare with English: nickname from Middle English cusin cosin ‘kinsman or cousin’ a borrowing from Old French (see 1 above). The surname would thus have denoted a person related in some way to a prominent figure in the neighborhood. In some cases it may also have been a nickname for someone who used the term cousin frequently as a familiar term of address.

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


Similar surnames: Voisin, Corbin, Coppin, Collin, Cousins, Cossin, Boutin, Moulin

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Cousin family from?

You can see how Cousin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cousin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cousin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 70 Cousin families living in Yorkshire. This was about 16% of all the recorded Cousin's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Cousin families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cousin surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Cousin 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 Cousin. 36% of Cousin men worked as a General Labourer and 78% of Cousin women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cousin were Coal Hewer Heavy and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Cousin | 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
    36%
  • Dairy Farmer
    22%
  • Old Age Pensioner
    15%
  • Coal Hewer Heavy
    15%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Private Means
    5%
  • Housewife
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Cousin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 20,000 census records available for the last name Cousin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cousin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cousin

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Cousin. For the veterans among your Cousin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cousin military records

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What is the average Cousin lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Cousin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1963. The average life expectancy for Cousin in 1950 was 37, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cousin

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