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Dewar Family History

Dewar Surname Meaning

Scottish: from Gaelic Mac an Deoraidh ‘son of the pilgrim or sojourner’. Perhaps also an occupational name for a custodian of holy relics (which was normally a hereditary office) from Gaelic deoradh ‘pilgrim stranger’.

Habitational name from Dewar, a place near Dalkeith of uncertain origin.

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


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Where is the Dewar family from?

You can see how Dewar families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dewar family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dewar families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 251 Dewar families living in London. This was about 36% of all the recorded Dewar's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dewar families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dewar 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 Dewar ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Dewar. 8% of Dewar men worked as an Incapacitated and 72% of Dewar women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dewar were Retired and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Dewar | 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

  • Incapacitated
    8%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Dock Labourer
    6%
  • Retired
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Private Means
    6%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%

What Dewar family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 88,000 census records available for the last name Dewar. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dewar census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dewar

Passenger Lists

There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Dewar. 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 Dewar immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Dewar. For the veterans among your Dewar ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dewar military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dewar family history

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What is the average Dewar lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Dewar life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1981. The average life expectancy for Dewar in 1952 was 25, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dewar

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dewar 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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