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Single Family History

Single Surname Meaning

English: topographic name from one or more places called with Old English sengel perhaps meaning ‘brushwood’ or ‘burnt clearing’ such as Cowdray in Cocking (Sussex) recorded as la Cengel la Sengle in the 13th century.

English: nickname from Middle English sengle single ‘single unmarried’ perhaps also ‘living alone solitary’ (Old French sengle). Compare Singler.

German: from a pet form of an ancient Germanic person name formed with sing ‘sing’ as the first element.

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


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Where is the Single family from?

You can see how Single families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Single family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Single families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 117 Single families living in British Columbia. This was about 68% of all the recorded Single's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Single families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Single 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 Single ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Single. 65% of Single men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Single | 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
    65%
  • Laborer
    22%
  • Fure
    15%

What Single family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 16,000 census records available for the last name Single. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Single census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Single

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Single. 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 Single immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Single. For the veterans among your Single ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Single military records

You've only scratched the surface of Single family history

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What is the average Single lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Single life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 1980. The average life expectancy for Single in 1948 was 40, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Single

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

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