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Motherwell Family History

Motherwell Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from Motherwell in Lanarkshire.

The placename derives from Older Scots moder ‘mother the Virgin Mary’ + welle ‘well spring’.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Motherwell family from?

You can see how Motherwell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Motherwell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Motherwell families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 7 Motherwell families living in Yorkshire. This was about 29% of all the recorded Motherwell's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Motherwell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Motherwell 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 Motherwell ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Aircraft Fitter and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Motherwell. 100% of Motherwell men worked as an Aircraft Fitter and 72% of Motherwell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Motherwell | 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

  • Aircraft Fitter
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Private Means
    29%

What Motherwell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Motherwell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Motherwell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Motherwell

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Motherwell. 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 Motherwell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 736 military records available for the last name Motherwell. For the veterans among your Motherwell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Motherwell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Motherwell family history

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What is the average Motherwell lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Motherwell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1979, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Motherwell in 1964 was 75, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Motherwell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Motherwell 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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