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Sawa Family History

Sawa Surname Meaning

Japanese: written 沢 or 澤 ‘swamp’ sometimes phonetically 佐波. A few bearers have samurai connections. The name is not very common in Japan but is a very common element in many other names so some instances in America could have been shortened from names either beginning or ending with -sawa.

Polish and Rusyn (from Poland): from the personal name Sawa Late Greek Sabbas (see Savas).

Assyrian/Chaldean: from the personal name Sāwā a cognate of Greek (Aramaic) Savas.

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


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Where is the Sawa family from?

You can see how Sawa families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sawa family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Sawa families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 4 Sawa families living in Westmorland. This was about 44% of all the recorded Sawa's in United Kingdom. Westmorland had the highest population of Sawa families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sawa 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 Sawa ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Seamstress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Sawa. 37% of Sawa men worked as a Laborer and 16% of Sawa women worked as a Seamstress. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sawa were Salesman and Office Clerk.

View Census Data for Sawa | 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

  • Laborer
    37%
  • Truck Driver
    11%
  • Carpenter
    11%
  • Salesman
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Seamstress
    16%
  • Operator
    11%
  • Machine Operator
    11%
  • Office Clerk
    11%

What Sawa family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Sawa. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sawa census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Sawa

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 345 military records available for the last name Sawa. For the veterans among your Sawa ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sawa military records

You've only scratched the surface of Sawa family history

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What is the average Sawa lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Sawa life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1970, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Sawa in 1954 was 48, and 47 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sawa

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Sawa 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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