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Sinclair Family History

Sinclair Name Meaning

Scottish and English: of Norman origin a habitational name from Saint-Clair-sur-Elle (Manche) so called from the dedication of its church to Saint Clarus (see Clare ). Americanized form of some similar (like-sounding) Jewish surname.

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


Similar surnames: St. Clair, Silber, Mindlin, Sinai, Fincham, Sinisi, Clair, Boisclair

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Sinclair family from?

You can see how Sinclair families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sinclair family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sinclair families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1911 there were 1,127 Sinclair families living in Ontario. This was about 43% of all the recorded Sinclair's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Sinclair families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sinclair surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Sinclair ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Sinclair. 32% of Sinclair men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Sinclair women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sinclair were Clerk and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Sinclair | 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
    32%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Labourer
    7%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Nurse
    8%
  • Housewife
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Sinclair family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 416,000 census records available for the last name Sinclair. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sinclair census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Sinclair

Passenger Lists

There are 75,000 immigration records available for the last name Sinclair. 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 Sinclair immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 52,000 military records available for the last name Sinclair. For the veterans among your Sinclair 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 Sinclair family history

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What is the average Sinclair lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Sinclair life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Sinclair in 1944 was 32, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sinclair

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