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General Family History

General Surname Meaning

African American: from the English vocabulary word general possibly adopted as a surname in honor of a certain general of the US army most probably Ulysses S. Grant (see Grant compare President). Compare also 3 below.

German: nickname for a mercenary (employed in royal services).

Hispanic (mainly Philippines): nickname from Spanish general ‘general’ (military officer).

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the General family from?

You can see how General families moved over time by selecting different census years. The General family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most General families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 61 General families living in Ontario. This was about 82% of all the recorded General's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of General families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the General 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 General ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Servante were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named General. 84% of General men worked as a Farmer and 100% of General women worked as a Servante.

View Census Data for General | 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
    84%
  • Labourer
    17%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Servante
    100%

What General family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name General. Like a window into their day-to-day life, General census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for General

Passenger Lists

There are 810 immigration records available for the last name General. 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 General immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 575 military records available for the last name General. For the veterans among your General ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all General military records

You've only scratched the surface of General family history

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What is the average General lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, General life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for General in 1956 was 43, and 67 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for General

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

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