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Dyer Family History

Dyer Surname Meaning

English: occupational name for a dyer of cloth from Middle English deier degher ‘dyer’ (Old English dēag ‘dye’; the verb is a back-formation from the agent noun). Compare Dexter.

The name is typical of southern England. In the Midlands Dexter is the more common equivalent and in northern England Lister.

Irish (Sligo and Antrim): variant of Dwyer.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Dyer family from?

You can see how Dyer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dyer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dyer families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,974 Dyer families living in London. This was about 18% of all the recorded Dyer's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dyer families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dyer 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 Dyer 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 Dyer. 7% of Dyer men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Dyer women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dyer were Incapacitated and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Dyer | 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
    7%
  • Gardener
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Dyer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 453,000 census records available for the last name Dyer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dyer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dyer

Passenger Lists

There are 42,000 immigration records available for the last name Dyer. 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 Dyer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 71,000 military records available for the last name Dyer. For the veterans among your Dyer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dyer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dyer family history

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What is the average Dyer lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Dyer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Dyer in 1941 was 42, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dyer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dyer 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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