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Needs Family History

Needs Name Meaning

English (southwestern): variant of Need with post-medieval excrescent -s. See Nead .

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


Similar surnames: Need, Seeds, Reeds, Leeks, Meeds, Needy, Leeds, Dees, Neals, Neils

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 Needs family from?

You can see how Needs families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Needs family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Needs families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 5 Needs families living in Manitoba. This was about 45% of all the recorded Needs's in Canada. Manitoba had the highest population of Needs families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Needs surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Needs ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Servant were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Needs. 25% of Needs men worked as a Laborer and 34% of Needs women worked as a Servant. Some less common occupations for Americans named Needs were New Worker and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Needs | 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

  • Laborer
    25%
  • Farmer
    21%
  • Salesman
    15%
  • New Worker
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Servant
    34%
  • Clerk
    27%
  • Bookkeeper
    14%
  • Teacher
    14%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Needs family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 15,000 census records available for the last name Needs. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Needs census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Needs

Passenger Lists

There are 879 immigration records available for the last name Needs. 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 Needs immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Needs. For the veterans among your Needs ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Needs military records

You've only scratched the surface of Needs family history

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What is the average Needs lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Needs life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1977, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Needs in 1962 was 80, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Needs

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Needs family tree

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