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Floodgate Family History

Floodgate Surname Meaning

From Middle English flodgate and flodyate, meaning ‘floodgate’, refers to someone who lived by or operated a floodgate.

A floodgate is a moveable barrier in a stream that controls water flow, particularly in a millrace.

The role of a floodgate operator was crucial in regulating the amount of water that flowed, especially in places where water levels needed to be managed for milling purposes.

This term highlights the historical significance of water management in communities that relied on mills for their livelihoods.

Over time, the term has evolved but still retains its connection to important water control mechanisms.

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


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Where is the Floodgate family from?

You can see how Floodgate families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Floodgate family name was found in the UK in 1891. In 1891 there were 33 Floodgate families living in London. This was about 66% of all the recorded Floodgate's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Floodgate families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Floodgate 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 Floodgate 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 Floodgate. 75% of Floodgate men worked as a General Labourer and 90% of Floodgate women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Floodgate were General Labourer (retired) and Office Cleaner.

View Census Data for Floodgate | 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
    75%
  • General Labourer (retired)
    25%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    90%
  • Office Cleaner
    10%

What Floodgate family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Floodgate. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Floodgate census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Floodgate

Passenger Lists

There are 64 immigration records available for the last name Floodgate. 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 Floodgate immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 100 military records available for the last name Floodgate. For the veterans among your Floodgate ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Floodgate military records

You've only scratched the surface of Floodgate family history

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What is the average Floodgate lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Floodgate 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.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Floodgate

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