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Alma Family History

Alma Surname Meaning

Italian (Sicily): from the female personal name Alma from Latin almus ‘nourishing’. Spanish and Portuguese: nickname from alma ‘soul’ (from Latin anima).

Catalan (Almà): from a variant of the personal name Almar or Armar from ancient Germanic Adalamar.

West Frisian: patronymic formed with the suffix -ma ‘(one of the) men of’ from the personal name Al(e) a short form of an ancient Germanic name containing the element adel ‘noble’.

Compare Alkema.

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


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Where is the Alma family from?

You can see how Alma families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Alma family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Alma families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 17 Alma families living in Ontario. This was about 29% of all the recorded Alma's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Alma families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Alma 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 Alma ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Alma. 37% of Alma men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Alma women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Alma were Barber and Dress Finisher.

View Census Data for Alma | 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
    37%
  • Laborer
    29%
  • Truck Driver
    8%
  • Barber
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    20%
  • Cook
    16%
  • Housewife
    12%
  • Dress Finisher
    8%

What Alma family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Alma. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Alma census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Alma

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Alma. 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 Alma immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 497 military records available for the last name Alma. For the veterans among your Alma ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Alma military records

You've only scratched the surface of Alma family history

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What is the average Alma lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Alma life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1971, and highest in 1966. The average life expectancy for Alma in 1955 was 47, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Alma

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Alma 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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