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Dewer Family History

Dewer Surname Meaning

see Dewar. perhaps from an unrecorded Middle English *dewer ‘dweller at the damp or wet place’ (Middle English *dewe Old English *dīewe + -er). This is a topographic surname of a type that is characteristic of Surrey Sussex and Kent.

It is equivalent to atte Dewe ‘at the dewe’ attested in John and Robert atte Dywe 1327 in Subsidy Rolls (Wivelridge and Hope respectively near Rye Sussex) and which probably survives in Dew Farm in Peasmarsh (Sussex).

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Dewer family from?

You can see how Dewer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dewer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dewer families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1891 there were 8 Dewer families living in Kent. This was about 35% of all the recorded Dewer's in United Kingdom. Kent and 1 other county had the highest population of Dewer families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dewer 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 Dewer ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Dewer. 80% of Dewer women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Dewer | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    80%
  • Respirator Assembler
    20%

What Dewer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Dewer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dewer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dewer

Passenger Lists

There are 762 immigration records available for the last name Dewer. 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 Dewer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 357 military records available for the last name Dewer. For the veterans among your Dewer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dewer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dewer family history

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What is the average Dewer lifespan?

Between 1956 and 1999, in the United States, Dewer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1975, and highest in 1967. The average life expectancy for Dewer in 1956 was 53, and 88 in 1999.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dewer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dewer 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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