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Somerville Family History

Somerville Name Meaning

Scottish: of Norman origin a habitational name from Graveron-Sémerville in Eure (Normandy) from the ancient Germanic personal name Sigimar (see Siemer ) + Old French ville ‘settlement’. The surname was taken from England to Scotland in the 12th century by William de Somerville a retainer of David Earl of Huntingdon who became King David I of Scotland. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Somacháin (see Summers ) or Mag Shamradháin (see Somers ).

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


Similar surnames: Melville, Colville, Neville, Deville, Baskerville, Monville

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Where is the Somerville family from?

You can see how Somerville families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Somerville family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Somerville families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 364 Somerville families living in Ontario. This was about 59% of all the recorded Somerville's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Somerville families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Somerville surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Somerville ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Somerville. 53% of Somerville men worked as a Farmer and 18% of Somerville women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Somerville were Income and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Somerville | 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
    53%
  • Carpenter
    6%
  • Labourer
    5%
  • Income
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    18%
  • Student
    13%
  • Housekeeper
    13%
  • Stenographer
    13%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Somerville family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 86,000 census records available for the last name Somerville. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Somerville census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Somerville

Passenger Lists

There are 16,000 immigration records available for the last name Somerville. 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 11,000 military records available for the last name Somerville. For the veterans among your Somerville ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Somerville family history

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What is the average Somerville lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Somerville life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Somerville in 1941 was 32, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Somerville

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