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Dovey Family History

Dovey Surname Meaning

Irish: variant of Duffy. English: habitational name perhaps from the valley of the River Dovey (Dyfi) in Merionethshire and Cardiganshire in Wales specifically Aberdovey (Merionethshire).

Americanized form of Norwegian Dåvøy: habitational name from a farm so named in western Norway from dove ‘shaking bog’ + øy ‘island’.

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


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Where is the Dovey family from?

You can see how Dovey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dovey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dovey families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 269 Dovey families living in London. This was about 21% of all the recorded Dovey's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dovey families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dovey 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 Dovey 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 Dovey. 7% of Dovey men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Dovey women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dovey were Farm Labourer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Dovey | 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
    7%
  • Incapacitated
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Farm Labourer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Housekeeper
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Dovey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 28,000 census records available for the last name Dovey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dovey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dovey

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Dovey. 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 Dovey immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Dovey. For the veterans among your Dovey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dovey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dovey family history

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What is the average Dovey lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Dovey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Dovey in 1954 was 68, and 57 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dovey

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dovey 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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