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Bliss Family History

Bliss Name Meaning

English: nickname for a cheerful person from Middle English blisse ‘joy’. Compare Blissett . English (of Norman origin): habitational name from the village of Blay in Calvados France recorded in 1077 in the form Bleis. The village of Stoke Bliss in Worcestershire takes the second part of its name from a Norman family de Blez recorded several times in the county from the 13th century. German: nickname for a cheerful person from Middle High German blīde ‘happy friendly’. It is also found in France.

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


Similar surnames: Biss, Blass, Bloss, Weiss, Brass, Bligh, Bias, Bayliss, Bess, Niss

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Bliss family from?

You can see how Bliss families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bliss family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bliss families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 32 Bliss families living in Ontario. This was about 28% of all the recorded Bliss's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Bliss families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bliss 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 Bliss ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Bliss. 46% of Bliss men worked as a Farmer and 43% of Bliss women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bliss were Labourer and Servant. .

View Census Data for Bliss | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    46%
  • Laborer
    18%
  • Student
    9%
  • Labourer
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    43%
  • Clerk
    29%
  • Servant
    29%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Bliss family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 148,000 census records available for the last name Bliss. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bliss census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Bliss

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Bliss. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 32,000 military records available for the last name Bliss. For the veterans among your Bliss ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Bliss lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Bliss life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Bliss in 1943 was 50, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bliss

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