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Vara Family History

Vara Surname Meaning

Galician, Asturian-Leonese, and Spanish: habitational name from Vara (Galicia), Vara del Rey (Cuenca), or La Vara (Asturias). Compare De la Vara.

Portuguese and Spanish: from vara ‘rod, stick, yardstick’ (from Late Latin vara ‘forked stick’) applied as a nickname or a metonymic occupational name in any of various possible senses; it may have been given to a keeper of animals who used a stick to urge his charges on or to an official who was responsible for checking weights and measures or who carried a rod as a symbol of his office.

Italian (Sicily): either of Spanish origin (see 2 above) or alternatively a nickname or a metonymic occupational name from Sicilian vara ‘large board decorated with images of saints used for processions’, also ‘coffin’.

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


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Where is the Vara family from?

You can see how Vara families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Vara family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Vara families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 3 Vara families living in Alberta. This was about 33% of all the recorded Vara's in Canada. Alberta and 1 other province had the highest population of Vara families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Vara 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 Vara ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Vara. 33% of Vara men worked as a Laborer and 42% of Vara women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Vara were Farmer and Teacher.

View Census Data for Vara | 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
    33%
  • Truck Driver
    9%
  • Barber
    9%
  • Farmer
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    42%
  • New Worker
    25%
  • Operator
    17%
  • Teacher
    17%

What Vara family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Vara. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Vara census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Vara

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Vara military records

You've only scratched the surface of Vara family history

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What is the average Vara lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Vara life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1964. The average life expectancy for Vara in 1958 was 61, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Vara

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Vara 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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