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Essex Family History

Essex Name Meaning

English: habitational name from the county of Essex whose name is from Old English ēast ‘east’ + Seaxe ‘Saxons’. In England the surname is now particularly common in Birmingham.

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


Similar surnames: Sussex, Esse, Hessey, Hessen, Esser, Elsen, Jesser, Estep, Vessey

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Essex family from?

You can see how Essex families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Essex family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Essex families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 41 Essex families living in Ontario. This was about 56% of all the recorded Essex's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Essex families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Essex surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Essex ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Nurse were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Essex. 56% of Essex men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Essex women worked as a Nurse. .

View Census Data for Essex | 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
    56%
  • Labourer
    23%
  • Farmers Son
    12%
  • Book Keeper
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Nurse
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Essex family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 40,000 census records available for the last name Essex. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Essex census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Essex

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Essex. For the veterans among your Essex ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Essex military records

You've only scratched the surface of Essex family history

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What is the average Essex lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Essex life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Essex in 1953 was 42, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Essex

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Essex family tree

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