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Essa Family History

Essa Surname Meaning

Arabic and Somali: from a variant of the personal name Issa ‘Jesus’. The Somali name is also found in Ethiopia.

— Note: Since Somalis do not have hereditary surnames their name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

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 Essa family from?

You can see how Essa families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Essa family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Essa families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 12 Essa families living in Ontario. This was about 80% of all the recorded Essa's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Essa families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Essa 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 Essa ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Essa. 34% of Essa men worked as a Laborer.

View Census Data for Essa | 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
    34%
  • New Worker
    34%
  • Truck Driver
    17%
  • Proprietor
    17%

What Essa family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 785 census records available for the last name Essa. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Essa census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Essa

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 212 military records available for the last name Essa. For the veterans among your Essa ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Essa military records

You've only scratched the surface of Essa family history

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What is the average Essa lifespan?

Between 1968 and 2004, in the United States, Essa life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1982, and highest in 1979. The average life expectancy for Essa in 1968 was 80, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Essa

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

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