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Douglas Family History

Douglas Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from any of various places called from their situation on a river named with Gaelic dubh ‘dark black’ + glas ‘stream’ (a derivative of glas ‘blue’). There are several localities in Scotland and Ireland so named but the one from which the surname is derived in most if not all cases is Douglas in Lanarkshire 20 miles south of Glasgow the original stronghold of the influential Douglas family and their retainers.

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


Similar surnames: Dallas, Douglass, Dugan, Hougham, Dolak, Moulis, Dollar, Dugal

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Douglas family from?

You can see how Douglas families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Douglas family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Douglas families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 54 Douglas families living in New York. This was about 16% of all the recorded Douglas's in USA. New York had the highest population of Douglas families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Douglas surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Douglas ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Douglas. 17% of Douglas men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Douglas women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Douglas were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Douglas | 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 1940

  • Laborer
    17%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    9%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Douglas family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 631,000 census records available for the last name Douglas. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Douglas census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Douglas

Passenger Lists

There are 115,000 immigration records available for the last name Douglas. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Douglas immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 121,000 military records available for the last name Douglas. For the veterans among your Douglas ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Douglas lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Douglas life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Douglas in 1941 was 42, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Douglas

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