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Poor Family History

Poor Surname Meaning

English (southeastern): variant of Power. Compare Poer.

Hungarian (Poór): status name from pór ‘peasant lower class’. Compare Por.

Iranian: variant of Pour.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Poor family from?

You can see how Poor families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Poor family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Poor families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 48 Poor families living in Hampshire. This was about 25% of all the recorded Poor's in United Kingdom. Hampshire had the highest population of Poor families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Poor 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 Poor 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 Poor. 100% of Poor men worked as a General Labourer and 75% of Poor women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Poor | 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
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    10%
  • Corset Strapper
    4%
  • Housewife
    4%

What Poor family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 40,000 census records available for the last name Poor. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Poor census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Poor

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Poor. For the veterans among your Poor ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Poor military records

You've only scratched the surface of Poor family history

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What is the average Poor lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Poor life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Poor in 1947 was 46, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Poor

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Poor 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Poor family tree

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