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Death Family History

Death Name Meaning

apparently from Middle English deeth deth Old English dēaþ ‘death’ perhaps for someone who played the part of Death in a local pageant.The figure of Death occurs for example in the Chester mystery cycle. The traditional pronunciation of this surname in modern times is /di:θ/ (Deeth) which would be a normal development of Old English dēaþ besides the usual modern pronunciation of the word as /dɛθ/. In Middle English Kent dialect the word is also found as diath. The spellings with an apostrophe de'Ath de Ath D'Eath De Aeth etc. are modern introduced perhaps to dissociate the name from the negative connotations of the word and to give it an appearance of gentry status. Sir Thomas D'eath 1723 in TNA was MP for Canterbury and Sandwich and 1st Baronet D'Aeth of Knowlton (Kent). He is perhaps descended from the Death family that is recorded in the Farnborough and Dartford area since the 16th century. Such re-spellings became more popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sampson Death aged 30 miller in Census 1841 (Roydon Essex) appears as Sampson De'Ath aged 71 born in Roydon (Essex) in Census 1881 (Bishop Stortford Herts). Martha Ann Death born in Great Waldingfield Suffolk in Census 1841 (Alpheton Suffolk) appears as Martha A. De'ath in Census 1881 (Buckingham Bucks).

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016

Similar surnames: Heath, Dearth, Leath, Beath, Meath, Drath, Reath, Deats, Keath, Dean

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Where is the Death family from?

You can see how Death families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Death family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Death families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 63 Death families living in Ontario. This was about 70% of all the recorded Death's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Death families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Death surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Death

What did your Death ancestors do for a living?

View Census Data for Death | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Farmer
74%
Gardener
14%
Labourer
14%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

Stenographer
100%

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What Death family records will you find?

Census Records
There are 39,000 census records available for the last name Death. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Death census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
Search Canadian census records for Death
Passenger Lists
There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Death. 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.
View all Death immigration records
Draft Cards
There are 21,000 military records available for the last name Death. For the veterans among your Death ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.
View all Death military records

Census Records

There are 39,000 census records available for the last name Death. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Death census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Death

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Death. 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.

View all Death immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 21,000 military records available for the last name Death. For the veterans among your Death ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Death military records

You've only scratched the surface of Death family history

Discover More

What is the average Death lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Death life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1971, and highest in 1977. The average life expectancy for Death in 1964 was 70, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Death

Browse profiles of historical people with the Death last name