Salem Family History

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Salem Name Meaning

Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic salim or salim ‘safe’, ‘secure’, ‘perfect’, ‘complete’. Salim ibn ?Umayr was one of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad. French (Alsace): habitational name from a place named Salem in Haut-Rhin, named for the holy city of Jerusalem.

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


Similar surnames: Salim, Sales, Saleh, Sale, Salm, Sole, Salaam, Salek, Solem, Palm

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Salem Family Origin

Where is the Salem family from?

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You can see how Salem families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Salem family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Salem families were found in the USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 16 Salem families living in Ontario. This was about 89% of all the recorded Salem's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Salem families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Salem surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Salem

Salem Family Occupations

What did your Salem ancestors do for a living?

In 1880, the most common Salem occupation in the USA was Farmer. 26% of Salem's were Farmers. A less common occupation for the Salem family was Tanner. Farmer, Keeping House and Laborer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Salem.

View Census data for Salem | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    26%

  • Keeping House

    11%

  • Laborer

    11%

  • Tanner

    7%

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

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

Salem Historical Records

What Salem family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Salem. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Salem 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 Salem

Passenger List

There are 642 immigration records available for the last name Salem. 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 Salem immigration records

Draft Card

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Salem. For the veterans among your Salem ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Salem military records

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

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Salem Life Expectancy

What is the average Salem lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Salem life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Salem in 1953 was 35, and 66 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Salem

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Salem 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 Salem Family Ancestors

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