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Barrow Family History

Barrow Name Meaning

English:: habitational name from any of numerous places called with Old English bearo bearu ‘grove’ (dative bear(o)we bearuwe) or Old English beorg dative beorge (Middle English berwe barwe) ‘mound tumulus’ for example in Cheshire Derbyshire Gloucestershire Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Shropshire Suffolk and Somerset or a topographic name with the same meaning. habitational name from Barrow in Furness Lancashire which is named with an unattested Celtic word barr here meaning ‘promontory’ + Old Norse ey ‘island’.

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


Similar surnames: Barlow, Carrow, Yarrow, Harrow, Barre, Barrows, Arrow, Harlow, Harrop

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Barrow family from?

You can see how Barrow families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Barrow family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Barrow families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,863 Barrow families living in Lancashire. This was about 28% of all the recorded Barrow's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Barrow families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Barrow surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Barrow ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Barrow. 10% of Barrow men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Barrow women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Barrow were Incapacitated and Private Means. .

View Census Data for Barrow | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Farmer
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Barrow family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 186,000 census records available for the last name Barrow. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Barrow census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Barrow

Passenger Lists

There are 24,000 immigration records available for the last name Barrow. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Barrow immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 23,000 military records available for the last name Barrow. For the veterans among your Barrow ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Barrow military records

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What is the average Barrow lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Barrow life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1952. The average life expectancy for Barrow in 1942 was 54, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Barrow

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