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Raef Family History

Raef Surname Meaning

Muslim (mainly Egypt): from a variant of the Arabic personal name Rāʿif ‘merciful gracious’.

Dutch (De Raef): variant of De Raaf (see Raaf).

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 Raef family from?

You can see how Raef families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Raef family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most Raef families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 30 Raef families living in Illinois. This was about 71% of all the recorded Raef's in USA. Illinois had the highest population of Raef families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Raef 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 Raef ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Waitress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Raef. 22% of Raef men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Raef women worked as a Waitress.

View Census Data for Raef | 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

  • Laborer
    22%
  • Salesman
    18%
  • Farmer
    18%
  • Bookkeeper
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Waitress
    100%

What Raef family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search Canadian census records for Raef

Passenger Lists

There are 103 immigration records available for the last name Raef. 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 Raef immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 178 military records available for the last name Raef. For the veterans among your Raef ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Raef military records

You've only scratched the surface of Raef family history

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What is the average Raef lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Raef life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1970, and highest in 1987. The average life expectancy for Raef in 1946 was 67, and 91 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Raef

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

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