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Chief Family History

Chief Surname Meaning

Native American: translation into English (and shortening) of a personal name based on a word such as Cheyenne veho meaning ‘chief’.

See also King.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Chief family from?

You can see how Chief families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chief family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Chief families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1911 there were 55 Chief families living in British Columbia. This was about 37% of all the recorded Chief's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Chief families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chief 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 Chief ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Chief. 41% of Chief men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Chief | 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
    41%
  • Labourer
    23%
  • Hunter
    14%
  • Trapper
    14%

What Chief family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 23,000 census records available for the last name Chief. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chief census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Chief

Passenger Lists

There are 320 immigration records available for the last name Chief. 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 Chief immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 69,000 military records available for the last name Chief. For the veterans among your Chief ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Chief military records

You've only scratched the surface of Chief family history

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What is the average Chief lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Chief life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Chief in 1958 was 32, and 57 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chief

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Chief 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Chief family tree

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