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Rankin Family History

Rankin Name Meaning

Scottish and English: from Middle English Ran(d)kin a diminutive of Ran(d) a pet form of the personal name Ran(d)ulf. See Rand Randolph Randall . This name was brought to Northern Ireland (Derry) from Scotland in the 17th century.

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


Similar surnames: Hankin, Rankine, Larkin, Mankin, Haskin, Raskin, Rank, Lakin, Rabkin

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Where is the Rankin family from?

You can see how Rankin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rankin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rankin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 425 Rankin families living in Ontario. This was about 46% of all the recorded Rankin's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Rankin families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rankin surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Rankin ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Rankin. 40% of Rankin men worked as a Farmer and 19% of Rankin women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rankin were Farmers Son and Income. .

View Census Data for Rankin | 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
    40%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Carpenter
    4%
  • Farmers Son
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    19%
  • Housekeeper
    14%
  • Stenographer
    10%
  • Income
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Rankin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 233,000 census records available for the last name Rankin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rankin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Rankin

Passenger Lists

There are 36,000 immigration records available for the last name Rankin. 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 Rankin immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 38,000 military records available for the last name Rankin. For the veterans among your Rankin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rankin military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rankin family history

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What is the average Rankin lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Rankin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Rankin in 1943 was 57, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rankin

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