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Hill Family History

Hill Name Meaning

English: topographic name for someone who lived on or by a hill from Middle English hill hell hull ‘hill’ (Old English hyll). Compare Hiller . This surname is also very common among African Americans. English: possibly in some cases from the personal name Hille a pet form of some name such as Hilger or Hillary . German: from a short form of Hildebrand or any of a variety of other names male and female containing ancient Germanic hild ‘battle’ as the first element. Americanized form (translation into English) of Finnish Mäki ‘hill’ or of any of various other names formed with this element (see Maki ). Americanized form of various like-sounding Jewish surnames.

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


Similar surnames: Gill, Will, Hild, Bill, Hell, Mill, Hils, Hall, Dill, Hilt

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 Hill family from?

You can see how Hill families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hill family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hill families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 836 Hill families living in New York. This was about 14% of all the recorded Hill's in USA. New York had the highest population of Hill families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hill 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 Hill ancestors do for a living?

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

View Census Data for Hill | 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
    15%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

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

What Hill family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3 million census records available for the last name Hill. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hill census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Hill

Passenger Lists

There are 363,000 immigration records available for the last name Hill. 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 527,000 military records available for the last name Hill. For the veterans among your Hill ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Hill lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Hill life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Hill in 1940 was 45, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hill

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