Duke Family History

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Duke Name Meaning

English and Irish: from Middle English duk(e) ‘duke’ (from Old French duc, from Latin dux, genitive ducis ‘leader’), applied as an occupational name for someone who worked in the household of a duke, or as a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces. English and Irish: possibly also from the personal name Duke, a short form of Marmaduke, a personal name said to be from Irish mael Maedoc ‘devotee (mael, maol ‘bald’, ‘tonsured one’) of Maedoc’, a personal name (M’Aodhóg) meaning ‘my little Aodh’, borne by various early Irish saints, in particular a 6th-century abbot of Clonmore and a 7th-century bishop of Ferns. Scottish: compare the old Danish personal name Duk (Old Norse Dukr). In some cases, possibly an Americanized form of French Leduc or Spanish Duque. Possibly an Americanized spelling of Polish Duk, a nickname from dukac ‘to stammer or falter’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Due, Dube, Duce, Dyke, Luke, Lake, Dade, Duch, Tukes, Ducker

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Duke Family Origin

Where is the Duke family from?

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You can see how Duke families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Duke family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Duke families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 222 Duke families living in Ontario. This was about 52% of all the recorded Duke's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Duke families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Duke surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Duke

Duke Family Occupations

What did your Duke ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, the most common Duke occupation in Canada was Farmer. 26% of Duke's were Farmers. A less common occupation for the Duke family was Servant. Farmer, Going To School and School were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Duke.

View Census data for Duke | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    26%

  • Going To School

    10%

  • School

    9%

  • Servant

    5%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Duke ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Duke Historical Records

What Duke family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 220,000 census records available for the last name Duke. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Duke census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1881 Canadian census records for Duke

Passenger List

There are 17,000 immigration records available for the last name Duke. 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 Card

There are 48,000 military records available for the last name Duke. For the veterans among your Duke ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Duke military records

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Duke Life Expectancy

What is the average Duke lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Duke life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Duke in 1940 was 35, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Duke

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Duke 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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