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Self Family History

Self Surname Meaning

English (Norfolk and Suffolk): from the Middle English personal name Sa(h)ulf (Old English Sǣwulf from sǣ ‘sea’ + wulf ‘wolf’).

North German: nickname from Low German self ‘self’ for a self-important person.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Self family from?

You can see how Self families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Self family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Self families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 69 Self families living in Ontario. This was about 72% of all the recorded Self's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Self families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Self 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 Self ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Self. 54% of Self men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Self | 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
    54%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Manager
    16%
  • Tinsmith
    16%

What Self family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 109,000 census records available for the last name Self. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Self census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Self

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Self. 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 Self immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 27,000 military records available for the last name Self. For the veterans among your Self ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Self military records

You've only scratched the surface of Self family history

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What is the average Self lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Self life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1963. The average life expectancy for Self in 1942 was 36, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Self

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Self 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.

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