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Nelma Family History

Nelma Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Nelms, Helm, Vela, Melia, Selman, Kelman, Neman, Belka, Pella, Elman

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Nelma family from?

You can see how Nelma families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Nelma family name was found in the USA in 1920. In 1920 there was 1 Nelma family living in Alabama. This was about 33% of all the recorded Nelma's in USA. Alabama and 2 other states had the highest population of Nelma families in 1920.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Nelma surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Nelma ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and School Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Nelma. 24% of Nelma men worked as a Farmer and 40% of Nelma women worked as a School Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Nelma were Manager and Housewife.

View Census Data for Nelma | 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

  • Farmer
    24%
  • Laborer
    22%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Manager
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • School Teacher
    40%
  • Servant
    20%
  • Housekeeper
    20%
  • Housewife
    20%

What Nelma family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 559 census records available for the last name Nelma. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Nelma census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Nelma

Passenger Lists

There are 69 immigration records available for the last name Nelma. 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 Nelma immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Nelma military records

You've only scratched the surface of Nelma family history

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What is the average Nelma lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Nelma ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Nelma

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Nelma family tree

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