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Des Family History

Des Name Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Deo, Ades, Dey, Dee, Das, Dees, Dies, Dew, Deas, Deus

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Des family from?

You can see how Des families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Des family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1861 and 1920. The most Des families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1861 there were 2 Des families living in East Lothian. This was 100% of all the recorded Des's in Scotland. East Lothian had the highest population of Des families in 1861.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Des 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 Des ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Des. 23% of Des men worked as a Laborer and 24% of Des women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Des were Inspector and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Des | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    23%
  • Farmer
    17%
  • Machinist
    17%
  • Inspector
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    24%
  • Bookkeeper
    16%
  • Weaver
    16%
  • Housekeeper
    16%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Des family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 27,000 census records available for the last name Des. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Des census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Des

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Des. 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 Des immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Des. For the veterans among your Des ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Des military records

You've only scratched the surface of Des family history

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What is the average Des lifespan?

Between 1976 and 2004, in the United States, Des life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2004, and highest in 1976. The average life expectancy for Des in 1976 was 86, and 49 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Des

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