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Desai Family History

Desai Surname Meaning

Indian (Gujarat and Maharashtra): Brahmin Jain and Parsi name meaning ‘landlord’ from Sanskrit dešasvāmī ‘lord of land’.

(from deša ‘country’ + svāmī ‘lord master’) which in earlier times denoted an official who collected revenue.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Desai family from?

You can see how Desai families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Desai family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1891 and 1920. The most Desai families were found in USA in 1920. In 1920 there was 1 Desai family living in Colorado. This was about 11% of all the recorded Desai's in USA. Colorado and 8 other states had the highest population of Desai families in 1920.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Desai 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 Desai ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Student was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Desai. 100% of Desai men worked as a Student.

View Census Data for Desai | 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.

England shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Student
    100%

What Desai family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 552 census records available for the last name Desai. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Desai census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Desai

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 40 military records available for the last name Desai. For the veterans among your Desai ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Desai military records

You've only scratched the surface of Desai family history

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What is the average Desai lifespan?

Between 1975 and 2004, in the United States, Desai life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1975, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Desai in 1975 was 29, and 66 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Desai

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Desai 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 Desai family tree

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