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Hands Family History

Hands Surname Meaning

English (mainly West Midlands): variant of Hand perhaps a plural form if a nickname or with genitival -s if a patronymic.

In most instances it is probably a post-medieval variant with excrescent -s.

Compare Hance.

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 Hands family from?

You can see how Hands families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hands family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hands families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 55 Hands families living in Ontario. This was about 71% of all the recorded Hands's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Hands families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hands 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 Hands ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Domestic were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Hands. 35% of Hands men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Hands women worked as a Domestic. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hands were Clerk and Servante.

View Census Data for Hands | 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
    35%
  • Labourer
    15%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Clerk
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Domestic
    34%
  • Bookkeeper
    23%
  • Income
    23%
  • Servante
    23%

What Hands family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 66,000 census records available for the last name Hands. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hands census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Hands

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Hands. 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 Hands immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 13,000 military records available for the last name Hands. For the veterans among your Hands ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hands military records

You've only scratched the surface of Hands family history

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What is the average Hands lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Hands life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Hands in 1949 was 30, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hands

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Hands 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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