Root Family History

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Root Name Meaning

English: nickname for a cheerful person, from Middle English rote ‘glad’ (Old English rot). English: metonymic occupational name for a player on the rote, an early medieval stringed instrument (Middle English, Old French rote, of uncertain origin but apparently ultimately akin to Welsh crwth). Dutch: topographic name for someone who lived by a retting place (Dutch root, a derivative of ro(o)ten ‘to ret’, akin to modern English rot), a place where flax is soaked in tubs of water until the stems rot to release the linen fibers.

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


Similar surnames: Rook, Boot, Roos, Rock, Rout, Rost, Moot, Look, Booth, Rood

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Root Family Origin

Where is the Root family from?

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You can see how Root families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Root family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Root families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 181 Root families living in Ontario. This was about 66% of all the recorded Root's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Root families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Root surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Root

Root Family Occupations

What did your Root ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Root. 35% of Root men worked as a Farmer and 10% of Root women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Root were Clerk and Teacher

View Census data for Root | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1921

  • Farmer
    35%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Clerk
    10%
  • Income
    10%
  • Operator
    10%
  • Teacher
    10%

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Root Historical Records

What Root family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 152,000 census records available for the last name Root. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Root 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 Root

Passenger List

There are 10,000 immigration records available for the last name Root. 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 Root immigration records

Draft Card

There are 31,000 military records available for the last name Root. For the veterans among your Root ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Root military records

You've only scratched the surface of Root family history.

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Root Life Expectancy

What is the average Root lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Root life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Root in 1942 was 30, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Root

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Root 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.

Famous Root Family Ancestors

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