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Eager Family History

Eager Surname Meaning

English: in most cases probably a variant of Agar or Ager. The name might also have arisen as a nickname from Middle English egre ‘sharp sour’ (Old French aigre) which developed various transferred senses when applied to people including ‘impetuous’ ‘fierce’ and ‘angry’ and is the source of the modern English word eager.

However no Middle English examples of this kind have been found. Irish (Cork and Wexford): variant of English Agar.

Compare Eagar.

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


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Where is the Eager family from?

You can see how Eager families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Eager family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Eager families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 114 Eager families living in Sussex. This was about 29% of all the recorded Eager's in United Kingdom. Sussex had the highest population of Eager families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Eager 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 Eager 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 Eager. 34% of Eager men worked as a General Labourer and 80% of Eager women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Eager were Painter and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Eager | 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
    34%
  • Bricklayer
    13%
  • Solicitor
    13%
  • Painter
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    80%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Housekeeper
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%

What Eager family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 29,000 census records available for the last name Eager. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Eager census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Eager

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Eager. 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 Eager immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Eager military records

You've only scratched the surface of Eager family history

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What is the average Eager lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Eager life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Eager in 1948 was 36, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Eager

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Eager 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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