This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Fail family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Fail Family History

Fail Surname Meaning

Scottish and Irish: shortened form of McPhail. Scottish: habitational name from Fail in Ayrshire.

Manx: variant of Fayle from Mac Giolla Phoil ‘son of Paul's servant’.

South German: metonymic occupational name for a retail dealer who hawks his ware for a huckster from Middle High German feil ‘for sale, purchasable’.

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


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Fail family from?

You can see how Fail families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fail family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fail families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 6 Fail families living in British Columbia. This was about 60% of all the recorded Fail's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Fail families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fail surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Fail ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Fail. 30% of Fail men worked as a Farmer and 19% of Fail women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fail were Farming and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Fail | 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
    30%
  • Laborer
    21%
  • Carpenter
    6%
  • Farming
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    19%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Waitress
    9%
  • Stenographer
    9%

What Fail family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Fail. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fail census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Fail

Passenger Lists

There are 950 immigration records available for the last name Fail. 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 Fail immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Fail. For the veterans among your Fail ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fail military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fail family history

Discover More

What is the average Fail lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Fail life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1978. The average life expectancy for Fail in 1946 was 37, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fail

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

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial