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Sable Family History

Sable Surname Meaning

Americanized form of German Zabel. French: topographic name for someone who lived in a sandy place from sable ‘sand’. French (Sablé): habitational name from a place so called in Sarthe.

English: from the personal name Sabel, a Middle English pet form of the female name Isabel or a shortened form of Sabelin(e), a pet form of Sabin (male or female).

English: alternatively, the name may have arisen as a nickname for a furrier or for someone with black hair from Middle English sable ‘sable black fur the color black’.

However, the absence of medieval evidence for the nickname makes this explanation quite conjectural.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Sable family from?

You can see how Sable families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sable family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sable families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 24 Sable families living in Ontario. This was about 92% of all the recorded Sable's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Sable families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sable 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 Sable ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Sable. 22% of Sable men worked as a Laborer and 11% of Sable women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sable were Farmer and Waitress.

View Census Data for Sable | 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
    9%
  • Clerk
    9%
  • Farmer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    11%
  • Saleslady
    9%
  • New Worker
    9%
  • Waitress
    8%

What Sable family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 7,000 census records available for the last name Sable. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sable census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Sable

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Sable. 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 Sable immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Sable. For the veterans among your Sable ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sable military records

You've only scratched the surface of Sable family history

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What is the average Sable lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Sable life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Sable in 1944 was 19, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sable

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Sable 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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