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Gownsend Family History

Gownsend Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Townsend, Townshend, Gansen, Downen, Goossen, Johnsen, Gowen, Monsen

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Gownsend family from?

You can see how Gownsend families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gownsend family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1891 and 1920. The most Gownsend families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Gownsend family living in Surrey. This was 100% of all the recorded Gownsend's in United Kingdom. Surrey had the highest population of Gownsend families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gownsend 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 Gownsend ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farm Laborer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Gownsend. 50% of Gownsend men worked as a Farm Laborer.

View Census Data for Gownsend | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farm Laborer
    50%
  • Farmer
    50%

What Gownsend family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 84 census records available for the last name Gownsend. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gownsend census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gownsend

Passenger Lists

There are 15 immigration records available for the last name Gownsend. 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 Gownsend immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5 military records available for the last name Gownsend. For the veterans among your Gownsend ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gownsend military records

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What is the average Gownsend lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gownsend 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.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gownsend

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