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Saarela Family History

Saarela Surname Meaning

Finnish: habitational name from farms so named from saari ‘island’ (compare Saari) + the locative suffix -la.

Established as a hereditary surname since the 19th century in southern, western, and northern Finland.

Adopted also in the early 20th century name-changing campaigns.

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


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Where is the Saarela family from?

You can see how Saarela families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Saarela family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1911 and 1920. The most Saarela families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there was 1 Saarela family living in Ontario. This was 100% of all the recorded Saarela's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Saarela families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Saarela 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 Saarela ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Miner and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Saarela. 32% of Saarela men worked as a Miner and 45% of Saarela women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Saarela were Salesman and Sales Clerk.

View Census Data for Saarela | 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

  • Miner
    32%
  • Laborer
    25%
  • Farm Laborer
    19%
  • Salesman
    13%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    45%
  • Waitress
    34%
  • Sales Clerk
    23%

What Saarela family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 843 census records available for the last name Saarela. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Saarela census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Saarela

Passenger Lists

There are 897 immigration records available for the last name Saarela. 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 Saarela immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 164 military records available for the last name Saarela. For the veterans among your Saarela ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Saarela military records

You've only scratched the surface of Saarela family history

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What is the average Saarela lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Saarela life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1972, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Saarela in 1962 was 65, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Saarela

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Saarela 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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