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Tear Family History

Tear Surname Meaning

English: nickname from Middle English ter(e) ‘of fine appearance or character’. The name may sometimes have been confused with Terry.

Possibly an altered form of German Thier. Manx: variant of Teare.

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 Tear family from?

You can see how Tear families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tear family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Tear families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 66 Tear families living in Lincolnshire. This was about 19% of all the recorded Tear's in United Kingdom. Lincolnshire had the highest population of Tear families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tear 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 Tear ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Coal Miner Hewer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Tear. 17% of Tear men worked as a Coal Miner Hewer and 81% of Tear women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tear were Incapacitated and House Duties.

View Census Data for Tear | 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

  • Coal Miner Hewer
    17%
  • Railway Clerk
    13%
  • General Labourer
    13%
  • Incapacitated
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    81%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    3%
  • House Duties
    3%

What Tear family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Tear. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tear census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Tear

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Tear. For the veterans among your Tear ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tear military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tear family history

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What is the average Tear lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Tear life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1973. The average life expectancy for Tear in 1956 was 33, and 58 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tear

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tear 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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