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Phillips Family History

Phillips Name Meaning

English Dutch North German and Jewish (western Ashkenazic): patronymic from the personal name Philip . In North America this surname has also absorbed cognates from other languages (see Philips ).

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


Similar surnames: Philip, Philips, Philipp, Phillipp, Philipson, Phillipps, Millis

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Phillips family from?

You can see how Phillips families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Phillips family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Phillips families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 1,985 Phillips families living in Ontario. This was about 53% of all the recorded Phillips's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Phillips families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Phillips surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Phillips ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Phillips. 30% of Phillips men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Phillips women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Phillips were Carpenter and Student. .

View Census Data for Phillips | 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
    30%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Student
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Phillips family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2 million census records available for the last name Phillips. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Phillips census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Phillips

Passenger Lists

There are 232,000 immigration records available for the last name Phillips. 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 Phillips immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 373,000 military records available for the last name Phillips. For the veterans among your Phillips ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Phillips military records

You've only scratched the surface of Phillips family history

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What is the average Phillips lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Phillips life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Phillips in 1940 was 38, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Phillips

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