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Govan Family History

Govan Surname Meaning

Scottish (Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire): habitational name from Govan near Glasgow first recorded c. 1134 as Guven possibly meaning ‘place of the smith’ although more recently a Cumbric word gir ‘hill’ has been suggested.

Irish and Scottish: from Ó Gobhann Gowan.

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


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Where is the Govan family from?

You can see how Govan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Govan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Govan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 36 Govan families living in Lancashire. This was about 43% of all the recorded Govan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Govan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Govan 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 Govan ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Govan. 96% of Govan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Govan | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    96%
  • Untrained Nurse
    5%

What Govan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 16,000 census records available for the last name Govan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Govan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Govan

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Govan. 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 Govan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Govan. For the veterans among your Govan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Govan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Govan family history

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What is the average Govan lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Govan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Govan in 1953 was 31, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Govan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Govan 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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