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Colvin Family History

Colvin Surname Meaning

Scottish and Irish (Donegal Antrim): variant of Colville probably reflecting a local pronunciation. The name was taken to Ulster in the 17th century.

Manx: if not identical with the first variant, perhaps from the Old Norse personal name Kolbeinn with /v/ substituted for /b/.

English: from the rare Middle English personal name Colwin or Colvin, which may be a borrowing into English of a Welsh name whose modern form is Collwyn ‘white’, or of colwyn ‘doe, puppy, pet dog’, or of the placename Colwyn (Denbighshire, Radnorshire).

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


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Where is the Colvin family from?

You can see how Colvin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Colvin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Colvin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 133 Colvin families living in London. This was about 22% of all the recorded Colvin's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Colvin families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Colvin 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 Colvin 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 Colvin. 26% of Colvin men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Colvin women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Colvin were Labourer Shipyard and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Colvin | 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
    26%
  • Civil Servant
    13%
  • Carpenter
    10%
  • Labourer Shipyard
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%

What Colvin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 104,000 census records available for the last name Colvin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Colvin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Colvin

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Colvin. 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 Colvin immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20,000 military records available for the last name Colvin. For the veterans among your Colvin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Colvin military records

You've only scratched the surface of Colvin family history

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What is the average Colvin lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Colvin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Colvin in 1950 was 54, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Colvin

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Colvin ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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