History of your Surname
Get access to Sable family records.Start a free trial

Sable Family History

Sable Name Meaning

Americanized form of German Zabel . French: topographic name for someone who lived in a sandy place from sable ‘sand’. French (Sablé): habitational name from a place so called in Sarthe. English: from the personal name Sabel a Middle English pet form of the female name Isabel or a shortened form of Sabelin(e) a pet form of Sabin (male or female). English: alternatively the name may have arisen as a nickname for a furrier or for someone with black hair from Middle English sable ‘sable black fur the color black’ but the absence of medieval evidence for the nickname makes this explanation quite conjectural.

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


Similar surnames: Sale, Cable, Saile, Sales, Abele, Salle, Gable, Halle, Staple

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Sable family from?

You can see how Sable families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sable family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sable families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 28 Sable families living in Berkshire. This was about 27% of all the recorded Sable's in United Kingdom. Berkshire had the highest population of Sable families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sable surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Sable ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Bricklayer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Sable. 100% of Sable men worked as a Bricklayer and 81% of Sable women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Sable | 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

  • Bricklayer
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    81%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    12%
  • Household Duties (unpaid)
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Sable family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 7,000 census records available for the last name Sable. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sable census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Sable

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Sable. For the veterans among your Sable ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sable military records

You've only scratched the surface of Sable family history

Discover More

What is the average Sable lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Sable life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Sable in 1944 was 19, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sable

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Sable family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Sable last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial