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Pilgrim Family History

Pilgrim Name Meaning

English (southeastern) and German: from Middle English pil(e)grim Middle High German bilgerīn pilgerīm ‘pilgrim’ (from Latin peregrinus pelegrinus ‘traveler’) a nickname for a person who had been on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land or to some seat of devotion nearer home such as Santiago de Compostella Rome or Canterbury. Such pilgrimages were often imposed as penances graver sins requiring more arduous journeys. In both England and Germany Pilgrim was occasionally used as a personal name from which the surname could also have arisen.

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


Similar surnames: Pilgram, Prim, Grim, Ahlgrim, Pilger, Milgram, Pilat, Millis, Ingram

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Where is the Pilgrim family from?

You can see how Pilgrim families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pilgrim family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Pilgrim families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 376 Pilgrim families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Pilgrim's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Pilgrim families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pilgrim 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 Pilgrim 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 Pilgrim. 20% of Pilgrim men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Pilgrim women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Pilgrim were Horseman On Farm and Domestic Servant. .

View Census Data for Pilgrim | 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
    20%
  • Bricklayer
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Horseman On Farm
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Pilgrim family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 61,000 census records available for the last name Pilgrim. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pilgrim census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Pilgrim

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Pilgrim military records

You've only scratched the surface of Pilgrim family history

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What is the average Pilgrim lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Pilgrim life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1985. The average life expectancy for Pilgrim in 1949 was 37, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Pilgrim

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