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Garfinkel Family History

Garfinkel Name Meaning

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name or nickname from Yiddish gorfinkl ‘carbuncle’ German Karfunkel. This term denoted both a red precious or semi-precious stone especially a garnet or ruby cut into a rounded shape (in which case it is an artificial name) and a large inflamed growth on the skin like a large boil (in which case it is a descriptive nickname).

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


Similar surnames: Finkel, Garfunkel, Griffel, Winkel, Gabriel, Garfield, Frenkel

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Where is the Garfinkel family from?

You can see how Garfinkel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Garfinkel family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1891 and 1920. The most Garfinkel families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 6 Garfinkel families living in Ontario. This was 100% of all the recorded Garfinkel's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Garfinkel families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Garfinkel surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Garfinkel ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Salesman and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Garfinkel. 17% of Garfinkel men worked as a Salesman and 15% of Garfinkel women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Garfinkel were Manager and Secretary. .

View Census Data for Garfinkel | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Salesman
    17%
  • Proprietor
    11%
  • Clerk
    8%
  • Manager
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    15%
  • Stenographer
    14%
  • Housewife
    13%
  • Secretary
    8%
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What Garfinkel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Garfinkel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Garfinkel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Garfinkel

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Garfinkel. 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 1,000 military records available for the last name Garfinkel. For the veterans among your Garfinkel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Garfinkel lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Garfinkel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Garfinkel in 1949 was 41, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Garfinkel

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