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Zu Family History

Zu Surname Meaning

Chinese:: Mandarin form of the surname 祖 meaning ‘ancestors’ in Chinese: (i) from the first element of the personal names Zu Jia (祖甲), Zu Yi (祖乙), Zu Xin (祖辛), Zu Ding (祖丁), and Zu Geng (祖庚), personal names of several kings during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (ii) from the first element of the personal names of Zu Ji (祖己) and Zu Yin (祖尹), who were descendants of an official called Zhong Hui who lived some time during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC).

Mandarin form of the surname 俎 meaning ‘sacrificial utensil’ in ancient Chinese: (i) adopted as a surname by the Bao Zu (鮑俎) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (ii) said to be adopted by the fourth son of the uncle of the famous general Yue Fei (1103–1142 AD) who changed the original surname Zhu (祝) to Zu (俎) in order to escape from political persecutions.

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


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Where is the Zu family from?

You can see how Zu families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Zu family name was found in the USA in 1920. In 1920 there was 1 Zu family living in Hawaii. This was about 50% of all the recorded Zu's in USA. Hawaii and 1 other state had the highest population of Zu families in 1920.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Zu surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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Census Records

There are 990 census records available for the last name Zu. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Zu census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 688 immigration records available for the last name Zu. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 215,000 military records available for the last name Zu. For the veterans among your Zu ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Zu lifespan?

Between 1988 and 1999, in the United States, Zu life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1999, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Zu in 1988 was 88, and 71 in 1999.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Zu

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Zu 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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