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Deems Family History

Deems Surname Meaning

English: derivative of Deem meaning ‘(son or servant) of the judge’.

Dutch: case inflected variant of Daems or Daams a patronymic from the personal name Daam from the personal name Adam.

Compare Dahms.

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


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Where is the Deems family from?

You can see how Deems families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Deems family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Deems families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 7 Deems families living in Ohio. This was about 50% of all the recorded Deems's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Deems families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Deems surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Deems ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Deems. 22% of Deems men worked as a Laborer and 16% of Deems women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Deems were Salesman and Teacher.

View Census Data for Deems | 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

  • Laborer
    22%
  • Farmer
    20%
  • Truck Driver
    6%
  • Salesman
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    16%
  • Seamstress
    16%
  • Saleslady
    16%
  • Teacher
    12%

What Deems family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Deems. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Deems census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Deems

Passenger Lists

There are 424 immigration records available for the last name Deems. 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 Deems immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Deems. For the veterans among your Deems ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Deems military records

You've only scratched the surface of Deems family history

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What is the average Deems lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Deems life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1965. The average life expectancy for Deems in 1943 was 43, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Deems

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Deems 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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