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Purves Family History

Purves Name Meaning

Scottish (Berwickshire and Midlothian) English (Northumberland) and Irish (Wexford) of Norman origin: variant of Purvis .

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


Similar surnames: Purks, Purvis, Burnes, Burkes, Parvis, Perkes, Purse, Surles, Burges

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Purves family from?

You can see how Purves families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Purves family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Purves families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1911 there were 61 Purves families living in Ontario. This was about 54% of all the recorded Purves's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Purves families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Purves surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Purves ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Purves. 100% of Purves men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Purves | 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
    100%
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What Purves family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 29,000 census records available for the last name Purves. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Purves census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Purves

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Purves. For the veterans among your Purves ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Purves military records

You've only scratched the surface of Purves family history

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What is the average Purves lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Purves life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Purves in 1952 was 53, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Purves

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