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Balew Family History

Balew Name 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: Balow, Bales, Balek, Bale, Belew, Blew, Ballew, Baley, Gale, Hale

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 Balew family from?

You can see how Balew families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Balew family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Balew families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 2 Balew families living in South Carolina. This was about 25% of all the recorded Balew's in USA. South Carolina and 1 other state had the highest population of Balew families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Balew surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Balew ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farming and Cook were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Balew. 50% of Balew men worked as a Farming and 100% of Balew women worked as a Cook. .

View Census Data for Balew | 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 1940

  • Farming
    50%
  • Salesman
    15%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Baker
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Cook
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Balew family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Balew. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Balew census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Balew

Passenger Lists

There are 23 immigration records available for the last name Balew. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Balew immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 137 military records available for the last name Balew. For the veterans among your Balew ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Balew military records

You've only scratched the surface of Balew family history

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What is the average Balew lifespan?

Between 1973 and 2003, in the United States, Balew life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2003, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Balew in 1973 was 78, and 51 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Balew

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Balew family tree

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