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Roe Family History

Roe Name Meaning

English: nickname from Middle English ro(o) ‘roe deer’ (Old English ). This is the midland and southern form also found in South Yorkshire and Lancashire. In much of northern England however remained unrounded and survives as Ray English: post-medieval variant of Wroe (see Wray ). English: post-medieval variant of Row (or vice versa); see Rowe . Irish (Laois): from Ó Ruaidh or Mac Ruaidh ‘descendant (or son) of Ruadh’ a byname meaning ‘red’. See also McRoy . Norwegian (also Røe): habitational name from any of several farmsteads named Røe or Roe from Old Norse ruth ‘clearing’. Korean: variant of Ro itself a variant of No

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


Similar surnames: Rode, Rowe, Rod, Ree, Rye, Rose, Doe, Rue, Roh, Loe

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Roe family from?

You can see how Roe families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Roe family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Roe families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 792 Roe families living in Yorkshire. This was about 13% of all the recorded Roe's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Roe families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Roe surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Roe 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 Roe. 9% of Roe men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Roe women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Roe were Builders Labourer and Incapacitated. .

View Census Data for Roe | 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
    9%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Farmer
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Roe family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 254,000 census records available for the last name Roe. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Roe census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Roe

Passenger Lists

There are 22,000 immigration records available for the last name Roe. 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 Roe immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 39,000 military records available for the last name Roe. For the veterans among your Roe ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Roe military records

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What is the average Roe lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Roe life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1940. The average life expectancy for Roe in 1940 was 77, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Roe

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