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Karjala Family History

Karjala Surname Meaning

Finnish: habitational name from farms so named mostly containing the root of the ethnonym or the old Savonian surname Karjalainen ‘Karelian Orthodox’ referring to Karjala the Finnish name for Karelia a historical province of Finland now divided between Finland and Russia.

In some cases the farm name Karjala is composed of karja ‘cattle’ which is sometimes a shortening from a nearby placename beginning with Karja- (e.g. Karjalahti ‘cattle bay’ or Karjaniemi ‘cattle cape’) + the locative suffix -la.

Established as a hereditary surname since the 19th century in western Finland chiefly in Ostrobothnia.

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


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Where is the Karjala family from?

You can see how Karjala families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Karjala family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1911 and 1920. The most Karjala families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 7 Karjala families living in Ontario. This was 100% of all the recorded Karjala's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Karjala families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Karjala 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 Karjala ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Karjala. 30% of Karjala men worked as a Farmer and 29% of Karjala women worked as a Housework. Some less common occupations for Americans named Karjala were Truck Driver and Housewife.

View Census Data for Karjala | 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
    28%
  • Farm Laborer
    10%
  • Truck Driver
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    29%
  • Stenographer
    29%
  • Maid
    15%
  • Housewife
    15%

What Karjala family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Karjala. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Karjala census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Karjala

Passenger Lists

There are 368 immigration records available for the last name Karjala. 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 Karjala immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 183 military records available for the last name Karjala. For the veterans among your Karjala ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Karjala military records

You've only scratched the surface of Karjala family history

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What is the average Karjala lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2003, in the United States, Karjala life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Karjala in 1958 was 36, and 68 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Karjala

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Karjala 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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