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Powan Family History

Powan Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Gowan, Rowan, Polan, Cowan, Pan, Mohan, Bowman, Power, Swan, Posa

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Powan family from?

You can see how Powan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Powan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Powan families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1891 there was 1 Powan family living in Lancashire. This was about 33% of all the recorded Powan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire and 2 other counties had the highest population of Powan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Powan 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 Powan ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Saleswoman were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Powan. 39% of Powan men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Powan women worked as a Saleswoman. Some less common occupations for Americans named Powan were New Worker and Housewife.

View Census Data for Powan | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    39%
  • Salesman
    16%
  • Foreman
    16%
  • New Worker
    16%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Saleswoman
    34%
  • Maid
    34%
  • Housewife
    34%

What Powan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 503 census records available for the last name Powan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Powan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Powan

Passenger Lists

There are 120 immigration records available for the last name Powan. 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 Powan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 29 military records available for the last name Powan. For the veterans among your Powan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Powan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Powan family history

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What is the average Powan lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Powan 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 Powan

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