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Overby Family History

Overby Name Meaning

Norwegian (Øverby): habitational name from any of some twenty farmsteads chiefly in southeastern Norway named Øverby from Old Norse Øfribýr a compound of øfri ‘upper’ + býr ‘farmstead’. Danish: habitational name from any of several places so named same meaning as 1 above.

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


Similar surnames: Overy, Nerby, Overly, Owenby, Sowerby, Over, Kirby, Ormsby, Overbey

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 Overby family from?

You can see how Overby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Overby family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Overby families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 7 Overby families living in Leicestershire. This was about 35% of all the recorded Overby's in United Kingdom. Leicestershire had the highest population of Overby families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Overby surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Overby ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Overby. 29% of Overby men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Overby women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Overby were Farming and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Overby | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    29%
  • Laborer
    18%
  • Truck Driver
    4%
  • Farming
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    11%
  • Maid
    9%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Teacher
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Overby family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 20,000 census records available for the last name Overby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Overby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Overby

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Overby. 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 Overby immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Overby. For the veterans among your Overby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Overby military records

You've only scratched the surface of Overby family history

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What is the average Overby lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Overby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Overby in 1942 was 40, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Overby

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Overby family tree

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