History of your Surname
Get access to Staff family records.Start a free trial

Staff Family History

Staff Name Meaning

English (Norfolk and Suffolk): from Middle English staf ‘rod staff stave’ (Old English stæf) used as a nickname either for a tall thin person someone who made staves or for anyone who carried a staff of office. Norwegian: habitational name from the farm name Stav from Old Norse stafr see Stava .

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


Similar surnames: Steff, Stoff, Scaff, Stang, Stauff, Stiff, Staffa, Taff, Staal, Gaff

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Staff family from?

You can see how Staff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Staff family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Staff families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 25 Staff families living in Ontario. This was about 57% of all the recorded Staff's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Staff families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Staff surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Staff ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Staff. 36% of Staff men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Staff | 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
    36%
  • Labourer
    22%
  • Smelter Man
    15%
  • Plasterer
    15%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Staff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 27,000 census records available for the last name Staff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Staff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Staff

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Staff. 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 Staff immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 49,000 military records available for the last name Staff. For the veterans among your Staff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Staff military records

You've only scratched the surface of Staff family history

Discover More

What is the average Staff lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Staff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Staff in 1958 was 41, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Staff

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Staff family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Staff last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial