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Conway Family History

Conway Name Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form adopted for several different Irish names pronounced similarly such as Mac Conmidhe (see McNamee ) Ó Conbhuide ‘descendant of the Yellow Hound’ (see Conboy ) and Ó Connmhaigh or Mac Connmhaigh ‘descendant (or son) of Connmhach’ a personal name meaning ‘head smasher’ (see Convey ). Welsh: habitational name from Conwy formerly Conway a fortified town on the coast of north Wales itself named for the river on which it stands. Some Welsh families of this name claim alliance with Conyers .

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


Similar surnames: Conroy, Conaway, Monday, Convey, Conran, Longway, Connaway, Conaty

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Where is the Conway family from?

You can see how Conway families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Conway family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Conway families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,284 Conway families living in Lancashire. This was about 26% of all the recorded Conway's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Conway families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Conway 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 Conway 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 Conway. 15% of Conway men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Conway women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Conway were Incapacitated and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Conway | 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
    15%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Conway family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 359,000 census records available for the last name Conway. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Conway census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Conway

Passenger Lists

There are 62,000 immigration records available for the last name Conway. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 61,000 military records available for the last name Conway. For the veterans among your Conway ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Conway lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Conway life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Conway in 1940 was 48, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Conway

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