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Ratz Family History

Ratz Surname Meaning

German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname probably for an agile or opportunistic individual from Middle High German ratz ‘rat, marten, polecat’. German (also Rätz): from a short form of any of various ancient Germanic compound personal names formed with rād, rāt ‘advice, counsel’. Compare Raetz.

Germanized or Americanized form of Hungarian, Slovak, and Czech Rácz (see Racz) or Rác; Serbian, Croatian, and Slovenian Rac ‘Serb’. Germanized form (also Rätz) of Sorbian Radc or Rac ‘councillor’ (see Raatz, compare Raetz).

Jewish (Ashkenazic): acronymic surname of uncertain derivation.

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


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Where is the Ratz family from?

You can see how Ratz families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ratz family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Ratz families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 120 Ratz families living in Ontario. This was about 72% of all the recorded Ratz's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Ratz families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ratz 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 Ratz ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Ratz. 43% of Ratz men worked as a Farmer and 30% of Ratz women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ratz were Laborer and Domestic.

View Census Data for Ratz | 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
    43%
  • Farmers Son
    12%
  • Merchant
    10%
  • Laborer
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    30%
  • Factory Gen
    30%
  • Housekeeper
    20%
  • Domestic
    20%

What Ratz family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Ratz. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ratz census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Ratz

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Ratz. 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 Ratz immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Ratz. For the veterans among your Ratz ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ratz military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ratz family history

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What is the average Ratz lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Ratz life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Ratz in 1941 was 57, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ratz

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ratz 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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