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Thewlis Family History

Thewlis Surname Meaning

from Middle English theules theweless northern Middle English Older Scots *thowless ‘lacking in moral fibre immoral’ (Old English þēawlēas *þēowlēas).

In modern Scots and northern English dialect thewless and thowless mean ‘lethargic spiritless feeble’. Compare Thew and Thow.

The WR Yorks surname Thewlis is locally pronounced ‘Towless’ (Redmonds Dictionary of Yorks Surnames) confirming the interchangeability of Thewles and Thowles in the 19th-century Morley examples below.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Thewlis family from?

You can see how Thewlis families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thewlis family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most Thewlis families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 660 Thewlis families living in Yorkshire. This was about 78% of all the recorded Thewlis's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Thewlis families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thewlis 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 Thewlis ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Insurance Agent and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Thewlis. 24% of Thewlis men worked as an Insurance Agent and 79% of Thewlis women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Thewlis were Motor Driver and Unpaid Household Duties.

View Census Data for Thewlis | 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

  • Insurance Agent
    24%
  • Bank Clerk
    16%
  • Woollen Weaver
    16%
  • Motor Driver
    16%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    2%

What Thewlis family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Thewlis. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thewlis census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Thewlis

Passenger Lists

There are 766 immigration records available for the last name Thewlis. 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 Thewlis immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 564 military records available for the last name Thewlis. For the veterans among your Thewlis ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Thewlis military records

You've only scratched the surface of Thewlis family history

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What is the average Thewlis lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2002, in the United States, Thewlis life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1973. The average life expectancy for Thewlis in 1954 was 42, and 72 in 2002.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Thewlis

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Thewlis 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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