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Tail Family History

Tail Surname Meaning

From Middle English tail ‘tail’ (Old English tægl ‘tail’). The reference may be to horsehair: compare Old Scandinavian tagl 'horse's tail' and note Peter Taylmonger 1332 in Fransson (Norfolk) apparently ‘seller of (horses’) tails'.

A lewd connotation is also possible as the word was jocularly applied to human genitalia both male and female. Some of the early bearers may belong with (2).

From Middle English tail ‘tail’ (Old English tægl) denoting either a projecting piece of land or the part of a mill race leading away from the waterwheel for someone who lived by such a feature.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016

Similar surnames:

Fail
, Bail
, Tall
, Cail
, Tai
, Nail
, Vail
, Trail
, Tait
, Lail

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Where is the Tail family from?

You can see how Tail families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tail family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Tail families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1911 there were 14 Tail families living in Quebec. This was about 35% of all the recorded Tail's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Tail families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tail 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 Tail family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Tail. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tail census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 636 immigration records available for the last name Tail. 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.

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Draft Cards

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

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What is the average Tail lifespan?

Between 1971 and 2003, in the United States, Tail life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1977, and highest in 1973. The average life expectancy for Tail in 1971 was 70, and 50 in 2003.

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