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Franklin Family History

Franklin Surname Meaning

English: status name from Middle English frankeleyn ‘freeman freeholder land-owner of free but not noble birth’ (Anglo-Norman French fraunclein). In general, he was a gentleman ranked above the main body of minor freeholders but below a knight or a member of the nobility.

Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames such as Frankel.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Franklin family from?

You can see how Franklin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Franklin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Franklin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 156 Franklin families living in New York. This was about 15% of all the recorded Franklin's in USA. New York had the highest population of Franklin families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Franklin 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 Franklin ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Franklin. 20% of Franklin men worked as a Laborer and 12% of Franklin women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Franklin were Truck Driver and Housewife.

View Census Data for Franklin | 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
    20%
  • Farmer
    17%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    12%
  • Cook
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Housewife
    5%

What Franklin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 705,000 census records available for the last name Franklin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Franklin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Franklin

Passenger Lists

There are 50,000 immigration records available for the last name Franklin. 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 Franklin immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 126,000 military records available for the last name Franklin. For the veterans among your Franklin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Franklin military records

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