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Banks Family History

Banks Name Meaning

English: variant of Bank 5 with excrescent -s. The final -s may occasionally represent a plural form but it is most commonly an arbitrary addition made after the main period of surname formation perhaps under the influence of patronymic forms with a possessive -s. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Bruacháin ‘descendant of Bruachán’ a byname for a large-bellied person. The English form was chosen because of a mistaken association of the Gaelic name with bruach ‘bank’. Compare Bank 6.

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


Similar surnames: Bank, Hanks, Banes, Banos, Danks, Ban, Banis, Banko, Banas, Binks

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Where is the Banks family from?

You can see how Banks families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Banks family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Banks families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 404 Banks families living in Ontario. This was about 38% of all the recorded Banks's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Banks families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Banks surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Banks ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Banks. 37% of Banks men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Banks women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Banks were Carpenter and School Teacher. .

View Census Data for Banks | 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
    37%
  • Labourer
    11%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    20%
  • Stenographer
    17%
  • Servant
    10%
  • School Teacher
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Banks family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 600,000 census records available for the last name Banks. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Banks census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Banks

Passenger Lists

There are 52,000 immigration records available for the last name Banks. 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 Banks immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 97,000 military records available for the last name Banks. For the veterans among your Banks 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 Banks family history

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What is the average Banks lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Banks life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Banks in 1940 was 43, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Banks

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