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Files Family History

Files Surname Meaning

English: variant of Fildes. English: variant of Fill with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s.

Croatian (Fileš): from the personal name Fileš of Hungarian origin (see 4 below) or a nickname for someone with prominent ears from Hungarian füles ‘having ears’ (compare 4 below).

Probably also an Americanized form of Hungarian Füles: from Füles a pet form of the personal name Fülöp (see Philip compare File) or a nickname for someone with prominent ears derived from fül ‘ear’.

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


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Where is the Files family from?

You can see how Files families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Files family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Files families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 22 Files families living in Ontario. This was about 56% of all the recorded Files's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Files families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Files 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 Files ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Files. 60% of Files men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Files | 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
    60%
  • Machinist
    20%
  • Cultivateur
    20%

What Files family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 19,000 census records available for the last name Files. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Files census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Files

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Files. For the veterans among your Files ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Files military records

You've only scratched the surface of Files family history

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What is the average Files lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Files life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Files in 1943 was 34, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Files

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Files 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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