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Gosney Family History

Gosney Surname Meaning

English: from Middle English gos(se) ‘goose’ + ei ‘island’ (Old English gōs + ēg).

The name may be topographic denoting someone who lived ‘(at the) goose island’ or more probably habitational for someone from a lost or as yet unidentified place so named.

The name is found mainly in Yorkshire.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Gosney family from?

You can see how Gosney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gosney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gosney families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 185 Gosney families living in Yorkshire. This was about 31% of all the recorded Gosney's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Gosney families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gosney 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 Gosney 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 Gosney. 18% of Gosney men worked as a General Labourer and 78% of Gosney women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gosney were Cowman and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Gosney | 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%
  • Farm Tractor Driver
    8%
  • Farm Worker
    8%
  • Cowman
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Household Duties
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Gosney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 21,000 census records available for the last name Gosney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gosney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gosney

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Gosney military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gosney family history

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What is the average Gosney lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Gosney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Gosney in 1954 was 52, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gosney

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gosney 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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