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Dawnay Family History

Dawnay Surname Meaning

From one of the many places in northern France named for an alder grove (Old French aulnai aulnoi latinized as alnetum), such as Annay (Pas-de-Calais), Aulnay (Aube, Marne, Calvados), Aulnois (Aisne), and Aunay (Calvados, Eure-et-Loir, Seine-et-Oise).

With the fused preposition, Anglo-Norman French d'Aunai became Dawnay, Dawney, and (with loss of the final syllable) Dawn.

Laney is another form of this surname with a fused definite article.

See also Dando, from Anglo-Norman French d'Aunou, with which d'Aunai may sometimes have been confused.

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


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Where is the Dawnay family from?

You can see how Dawnay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dawnay family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1880 and 1891. The most Dawnay families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 8 Dawnay families living in London. This was about 25% of all the recorded Dawnay's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dawnay families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dawnay 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 Dawnay ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Private Means was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Dawnay. 72% of Dawnay women worked as a Private Means.

View Census Data for Dawnay | 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

  • Private Means
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    29%

What Dawnay family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Dawnay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dawnay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dawnay

Passenger Lists

There are 206 immigration records available for the last name Dawnay. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 175 military records available for the last name Dawnay. For the veterans among your Dawnay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dawnay military records

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What is the average Dawnay lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dawnay 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 Dawnay

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