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Rail Family History

Rail Name Meaning

English (Cornwall): perhaps a nickname from Middle English raile ‘rail bar barrier stake’ (Old French reille ‘bolt bar rung’) perhaps denoting a tall thin man. Alternatively it may be from Middle English rail ‘garment robe clothing cloth’ (Old English hrægel). German: variant of Raile . Altered form of Breton (Côtes-d'Armor) Réhel: probably a habitational name from Réhel a minor placename in Brittany.

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


Similar surnames: Rais, Fail, Gail, Kail, Rayl, Dail, Radil, Lail, Vail, Rans

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Rail family from?

You can see how Rail families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rail family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rail families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 30 Rail families living in Cornwall. This was about 55% of all the recorded Rail's in United Kingdom. Cornwall had the highest population of Rail families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rail 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 Rail ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Dairy Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Rail. 100% of Rail men worked as a Dairy Farmer and 89% of Rail women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Rail | 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

  • Dairy Farmer
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    89%
  • Domestic Duties
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Rail family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Rail. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rail census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Rail

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Rail. 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 Rail immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Rail. For the veterans among your Rail ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rail military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rail family history

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What is the average Rail lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Rail life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1980, and highest in 1985. The average life expectancy for Rail in 1962 was 76, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rail

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Rail family tree

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