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Povey Family History

Povey Surname Meaning

Welsh (now chiefly found in England): patronymic meaning ‘son of Hova’. Welsh ap + the personal name Hwfa Anglicized to Pova, Pover, Povall, and Povey.

Without ap, the same name survives as Hovey and Hover, and possibly as Huffey and Huffer.

English: of uncertain origin. An unrecorded Old English personal name Pofig is formally possible incorporating the hypocoristic suffix -ig.

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


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Where is the Povey family from?

You can see how Povey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Povey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Povey families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 287 Povey families living in Staffordshire. This was about 14% of all the recorded Povey's in United Kingdom. Staffordshire had the highest population of Povey families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Povey 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 Povey 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 Povey. 10% of Povey men worked as a General Labourer and 75% of Povey women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Povey were Painter and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Povey | 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
    10%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Bricklayer
    5%
  • Painter
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Povey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 40,000 census records available for the last name Povey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Povey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Povey

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Povey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Povey family history

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What is the average Povey lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Povey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Povey in 1949 was 42, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Povey

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Povey 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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