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Syms Family History

Syms Surname Meaning

English (Devon and Somerset): variant of Sims.

Jewish (from Ukraine; Symes Symis): metronymic from the Yiddish female personal name Sime (see Sima).

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


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Where is the Syms family from?

You can see how Syms families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Syms family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Syms families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 3 Syms families living in Alberta. This was about 38% of all the recorded Syms's in Canada. Alberta and 1 other province had the highest population of Syms families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Syms 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 Syms ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Syms. 75% of Syms men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Syms | 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
    75%
  • Switchman
    25%

What Syms family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Syms. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Syms census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Syms

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Syms military records

You've only scratched the surface of Syms family history

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What is the average Syms lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Syms life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1975, and highest in 1969. The average life expectancy for Syms in 1958 was 56, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Syms

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

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