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Gearing Family History

Gearing Surname Meaning

English (Sussex and London): perhaps a nickname from Middle English gering apparently with the sense ‘lecher; glutton’.

English (of French Huguenot origin): Anglicized form of French Guérin (see Guerin).

Americanized form of German Gehring or of some other similar (like-sounding) German surname (compare e.g. Gahring and Garing).

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Gearing family from?

You can see how Gearing families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gearing family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gearing families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 255 Gearing families living in London. This was about 32% of all the recorded Gearing's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Gearing families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gearing 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 Gearing 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 Gearing. 18% of Gearing men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Gearing women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gearing were Railway Clerk and Private Means.

View Census Data for Gearing | 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
    18%
  • Carpenter joiner
    12%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Railway Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Gearing family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Gearing. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gearing census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gearing

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Gearing. 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 Gearing immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Gearing. For the veterans among your Gearing ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gearing military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gearing family history

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What is the average Gearing lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Gearing life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1967. The average life expectancy for Gearing in 1953 was 52, and 62 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gearing

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gearing 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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