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Gower Family History

Gower Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): habitational name for someone from Gohiere, the Old French form of what is now known as Goelle, the country north of Paris.

English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Anglo-Norman French Goier, Joier, denoting a man from any of several places in Normandy and Picardy called Gouy, Joué, or Jouy (derived from the Latin personal name Gaudius, Old French Goi, Joi + -acum ‘joy’).

English (of Norman origin): from a Norman personal name Go(h)ier, ancient Germanic Godehar, cognate with the Old English name mentioned at Gooder.

Probably an Americanized form of German Gauer.

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


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Where is the Gower family from?

You can see how Gower families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gower family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gower families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 610 Gower families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Gower's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Gower families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gower 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 Gower ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Gardener and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Gower. 7% of Gower men worked as a Gardener and 71% of Gower women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gower were Incapacitated and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Gower | 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

  • Gardener
    7%
  • General Labourer
    6%
  • Bricklayer
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Gower family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 94,000 census records available for the last name Gower. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gower census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gower

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Gower. 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 Gower immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Gower. For the veterans among your Gower ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Gower lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Gower life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Gower in 1948 was 49, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gower

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gower 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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