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Towensend Family History

Towensend 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: Townsend, Townshend, Toensing, Sorensen, Mogensen, Lorensen, Swensen

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Towensend family from?

You can see how Towensend families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Towensend family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most Towensend families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 15 Towensend families living in Wiltshire. This was about 83% of all the recorded Towensend's in United Kingdom. Wiltshire had the highest population of Towensend families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Towensend 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 Towensend ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Towensend. 100% of Towensend women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Towensend | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Towensend family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 816 census records available for the last name Towensend. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Towensend census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Towensend

Passenger Lists

There are 63 immigration records available for the last name Towensend. 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 Towensend immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 77 military records available for the last name Towensend. For the veterans among your Towensend ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Towensend military records

You've only scratched the surface of Towensend family history

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What is the average Towensend lifespan?

Average Towensend life expectancy in 1972 was 48 years. This was lower than the general public life expectancy which was 70.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Towensend

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Towensend 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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