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Oakes Family History

Oakes Surname Meaning

English: topographic name a variant of Oak with either an original plural -s or an excescent -s added later to the surname.

Irish (Louth Wexford): Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Dubhdara ‘son of Dubhdara’ a personal name composed of the elements dubh ‘dark’ + dara(ch) genitive of dair ‘oak’ by translation of the main element of the Gaelic name.

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


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Where is the Oakes family from?

You can see how Oakes families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Oakes family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Oakes families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 191 Oakes families living in Ontario. This was about 46% of all the recorded Oakes's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Oakes families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Oakes 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 Oakes ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Oakes. 47% of Oakes men worked as a Farmer and 23% of Oakes women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Oakes were Cultivateur and Wife.

View Census Data for Oakes | 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
    47%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Carpenter
    5%
  • Cultivateur
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    23%
  • Nurse
    14%
  • Farmer
    10%
  • Wife
    10%

What Oakes family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 133,000 census records available for the last name Oakes. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Oakes census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Oakes

Passenger Lists

There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Oakes. 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 Oakes immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 25,000 military records available for the last name Oakes. For the veterans among your Oakes ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Oakes military records

You've only scratched the surface of Oakes family history

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What is the average Oakes lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Oakes life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Oakes in 1943 was 41, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Oakes

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Oakes 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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