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Dean Family History

Dean Surname Meaning

English: topographic name from Middle English dene ‘valley’ (Old English denu) or a habitational name from any of several places in various parts of England named Dean or Dene from this word. English: nickname or occupational name for the servant of a dean or nickname for someone thought to resemble a dean. A dean was an ecclesiastical official the head of a chapter of canons or a church official with jurisdiction over a sub-division of an archdeaconry. Though no doubt some deans had illegitimate children they were officially celibate and in the main the surname is probably a nickname in origin similar to Bishop Prior Priest and Monk . The Middle English word deen dien dein is a borrowing of Old French d(e)ien doien from Latin decanus (originally a leader of ten men from decem ‘ten’) and thus is a cognate of Deacon . English: from the Middle English personal name Deyne (or Dene) a rhyming pet form of Reynald (see Reginald ). Italian: occupational name cognate with 2 above from Venetian dean ‘dean’ a dialect form of degan from degano (Italian decano). Irish: variant of Deane . Scottish: habitational name from Den in Kildrummy Aberdeenshire or Dean in Kilmarnock Ayrshire.

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


Similar surnames: Bean, Dear, Hearn, Degan, Dehn, Deal, Deane, Lean, Means, Deen

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Dean family from?

You can see how Dean families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dean family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dean families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 374 Dean families living in New York. This was about 20% of all the recorded Dean's in USA. New York had the highest population of Dean families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dean 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 Dean ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Dean. 16% of Dean men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Dean women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dean were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Dean | 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
    16%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    7%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
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What Dean family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 939,000 census records available for the last name Dean. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dean census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 72,000 immigration records available for the last name Dean. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 148,000 military records available for the last name Dean. For the veterans among your Dean ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Dean lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Dean life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Dean in 1940 was 50, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dean

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