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Conway Family History

Conway Name Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form adopted for several different Irish names pronounced similarly such as Mac Conmidhe (see McNamee ) Ó Conbhuide ‘descendant of the Yellow Hound’ (see Conboy ) and Ó Connmhaigh or Mac Connmhaigh ‘descendant (or son) of Connmhach’ a personal name meaning ‘head smasher’ (see Convey ). Welsh: habitational name from Conwy formerly Conway a fortified town on the coast of north Wales itself named for the river on which it stands. Some Welsh families of this name claim alliance with Conyers .

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


Similar surnames: Conroy, Conaway, Monday, Convey, Conran, Longway, Connaway, Conaty

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Conway family from?

You can see how Conway families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Conway family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Conway families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 66 Conway families living in New York. This was about 21% of all the recorded Conway's in USA. New York had the highest population of Conway families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Conway surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Conway ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Conway. 16% of Conway men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Conway women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Conway were Clerk and Maid. .

View Census Data for Conway | 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

  • Laborer
    16%
  • Farmer
    9%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    7%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Maid
    6%
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What Conway family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 359,000 census records available for the last name Conway. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Conway census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 62,000 immigration records available for the last name Conway. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 61,000 military records available for the last name Conway. For the veterans among your Conway ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Conway lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Conway life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Conway in 1940 was 48, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Conway

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