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Cardinal Family History

Cardinal Name Meaning

French and English: from Old French Middle English cardinal ‘cardinal’ the church dignitary (Latin cardinalis originally an adjective meaning ‘crucial’). The surname was probably bestowed as a nickname on someone who habitually dressed in red or who had played the part of a cardinal in a pageant or who acted in a lordly and patronizing manner. English: possibly also an altered form of Carbonell . Reaney notes that Cardinal's Farm in Foxearth (Essex) is recorded as Carbonels in 1381 and Cardynals in 1577.

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


Similar surnames: Cardinale, Carden, Carda, Carmin, Carnal, Harding, Gardin, Farina

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Where is the Cardinal family from?

You can see how Cardinal families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cardinal family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cardinal families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1911 there were 1,200 Cardinal families living in Quebec. This was about 61% of all the recorded Cardinal's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Cardinal families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cardinal 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 Cardinal ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Cultivateur and Institutrice were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Cardinal. 15% of Cardinal men worked as a Cultivateur and 14% of Cardinal women worked as an Institutrice. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cardinal were Journalier and Supervire. .

View Census Data for Cardinal | 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

  • Cultivateur
    15%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Trapper
    12%
  • Journalier
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Institutrice
    14%
  • Student
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
  • Supervire
    6%
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What Cardinal family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 50,000 census records available for the last name Cardinal. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cardinal 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 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Cardinal. 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 9,000 military records available for the last name Cardinal. For the veterans among your Cardinal ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Cardinal lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Cardinal life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Cardinal in 1951 was 44, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cardinal

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