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Eddowes Family History

Eddowes Surname Meaning

Apparently a variant of Edowe + post-medieval excrescent -s, but the origin of Edowe is obscure. It might have arisen from an English misinterpretation of Welsh Beddow as ap Eddow on the model of Welsh surname variations like Evan and Bevan. It occurs only after the medieval period of surname formation: Thomas Edowe 1595 in IGI (Manchester Lancs); Rowland Edow 1603, Jane Eddowe 1605, Richard Edo 1697 in IGI (Nuneaton Warwicks); Jane Edo 1604, William Edoe 1612 in IGI (Mancetter Warwicks); David Edow 1612 in IGI (Chester Cheshire).

Variation with -s-forms is rare but includes John Edowes 1609, Elinor Edowe 1613 in IGI (Holborn Middx), Randall Eddow 1626, Richard Eddows 1635 in IGI (Malpas Cheshire), and Ran. Eddow 1652, Roger Eddows 1678 in IGI (Whitchurch Shrops). Potential evidence for variation with Beddow(s) in the same parishes is also difficult to find: Randull Eddowes 1656, John Beddow 1673, Eleanor Beddows 1741 in IGI (Malpas Cheshire); Raphe Edowes 1656, Edward Beddoes 1729 in IGI (Oswestry Shrops).

In these instances, Eddow(s) always appears earlier than Beddow(s) and the two names may originally have had nothing to do with each other. An alternative possibility is that Edowe was back-formed from Edowes, in which case Edowes would be a variant of Edis from the Middle English female personal name Edus.

Compare Edusecros about 1301 in Place-Names of Cheshire 1 p. 124 recorded in Macclesfield, where (no doubt coincidentally) the surname Eddows appears some 400 years later. For this name in East Anglia and the London area, see also Edhouse.

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


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Where is the Eddowes family from?

You can see how Eddowes families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Eddowes family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Eddowes families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 45 Eddowes families living in Lancashire. This was about 17% of all the recorded Eddowes's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Eddowes families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Eddowes 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 Eddowes ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Solicitor and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Eddowes. 24% of Eddowes men worked as a Solicitor and 81% of Eddowes women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Eddowes were Metal Polisher and Housewife.

View Census Data for Eddowes | 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

  • Solicitor
    24%
  • Ironmonger
    16%
  • Musician
    16%
  • Metal Polisher
    16%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    81%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%

What Eddowes family records will you find?

Census Records

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

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Passenger Lists

There are 420 immigration records available for the last name Eddowes. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 400 military records available for the last name Eddowes. For the veterans among your Eddowes ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Eddowes lifespan?

Between 1965 and 2002, in the United States, Eddowes life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1984, and highest in 1983. The average life expectancy for Eddowes in 1965 was 69, and 75 in 2002.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Eddowes

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Eddowes 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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