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Widow Family History

Widow Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Dow, Wion, Kido, Sydow, Wadlow, Widen, Willow, Rudow, Mcdow, Wider

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Widow family from?

You can see how Widow families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Widow family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Widow families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 3 Widow families living in Staffordshire. This was about 50% of all the recorded Widow's in United Kingdom. Staffordshire had the highest population of Widow families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Widow 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 Widow ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Shipping Clerk and Secretary were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Widow. 50% of Widow men worked as a Shipping Clerk and 100% of Widow women worked as a Secretary.

View Census Data for Widow | 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

  • Shipping Clerk
    50%
  • Farmer
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Secretary
    100%

What Widow family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Widow

Passenger Lists

There are 394 immigration records available for the last name Widow. 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 Widow immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Widow. For the veterans among your Widow ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Widow military records

You've only scratched the surface of Widow family history

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What is the average Widow lifespan?

Between 1965 and 2004, in the United States, Widow life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2002, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Widow in 1965 was 83, and 95 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Widow

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Widow 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 Widow family tree

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