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Tess Family History

Tess Name Meaning

German: from a Germanized short form of any of various Slavic personal names with the first element teš ‘to comfort to console’ (see Tesch and Tessmer ).

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


Similar surnames: Gess, Tuss, Ness, Tress, Fess, Mess, Fees, Hess, Teas, Bess

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 Tess family from?

You can see how Tess families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tess family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Tess families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 5 Tess families living in Quebec. This was 100% of all the recorded Tess's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Tess families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tess surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Tess ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Tess. 22% of Tess men worked as a Laborer and 21% of Tess women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tess were Farm Laborer and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Tess | 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
    22%
  • Farmer
    20%
  • Salesman
    14%
  • Farm Laborer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    21%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Housework
    13%
  • Stenographer
    13%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Tess family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Tess. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tess census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Tess

Passenger Lists

There are 385 immigration records available for the last name Tess. 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 Tess immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 400 military records available for the last name Tess. For the veterans among your Tess ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tess military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tess family history

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What is the average Tess lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Tess life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Tess in 1950 was 30, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tess

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