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Dwyer Family History

Dwyer Surname Meaning

Irish (southern Ireland): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Dubhuidhir a variant of Ó Duibhidhir (see Diver) or Mac Duibhidhir ‘descendant of Duibhuidhir’.

It is a personal name composed of the elements dubh ‘dark black’ + odhar ‘sallow tawny’.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Dwyer family from?

You can see how Dwyer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dwyer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dwyer families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 538 Dwyer families living in Lancashire. This was about 31% of all the recorded Dwyer's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Dwyer families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dwyer 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 Dwyer ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Dwyer. 17% of Dwyer men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Dwyer women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dwyer were Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Dwyer | 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

  • General Labourer
    17%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%
  • Dock Labourer
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Dwyer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 272,000 census records available for the last name Dwyer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dwyer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dwyer

Passenger Lists

There are 50,000 immigration records available for the last name Dwyer. 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 Dwyer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 40,000 military records available for the last name Dwyer. For the veterans among your Dwyer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dwyer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dwyer family history

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What is the average Dwyer lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Dwyer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Dwyer in 1943 was 38, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dwyer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dwyer 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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