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Jonah Family History

Jonah Name Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Jonas, Jonak, Donat, Bonar, Jones, Noah, Honan, Lona, Monat, Jong

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 Jonah family from?

You can see how Jonah families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Jonah family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Jonah families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1911 there were 197 Jonah families living in New Brunswick. This was about 91% of all the recorded Jonah's in Canada. New Brunswick had the highest population of Jonah families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Jonah surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Jonah ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Student were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Jonah. 45% of Jonah men worked as a Farmer and 25% of Jonah women worked as a Student. Some less common occupations for Americans named Jonah were Laborer and At Home. .

View Census Data for Jonah | 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
    45%
  • Labourer
    23%
  • Carpenter
    9%
  • Laborer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Student
    25%
  • Housekeeper
    25%
  • Teacher
    17%
  • At Home
    17%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Jonah family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Jonah. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Jonah census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Jonah

Passenger Lists

There are 635 immigration records available for the last name Jonah. 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 Jonah immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 358 military records available for the last name Jonah. For the veterans among your Jonah ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Jonah military records

You've only scratched the surface of Jonah family history

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What is the average Jonah lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Jonah life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1985, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Jonah in 1956 was 63, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Jonah

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Jonah family tree

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