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Were Family History

Were Surname Meaning

see Ware.

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


Similar surnames: 

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Were family from?

You can see how Were families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Were family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Were families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 29 Were families living in Devon. This was about 33% of all the recorded Were's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Were families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Were 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 Were ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Were. 100% of Were men worked as a Farmer and 79% of Were women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Were | 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

  • Farmer
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    11%
  • Small Holder
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%

What Were family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Were. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Were census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Were

Passenger Lists

There are 903 immigration records available for the last name Were. 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 Were immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Were. For the veterans among your Were ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Were military records

You've only scratched the surface of Were family history

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What is the average Were lifespan?

Between 1969 and 2001, in the United States, Were life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 1971. The average life expectancy for Were in 1969 was 88, and 69 in 2001.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Were

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Were 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Were family tree

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