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Fairweather Family History

Fairweather Name Meaning

English and Scottish: nickname from Middle English fair(e) ‘fair beautiful’ + weder wether ‘weather’ for a person with a cheerful disposition. Compare Merryweather . There is a legend that a Scottish family of Highland origin assumed this name in punning allusion to Job 37:22 ‘Fair weather cometh out of the north’. At the present time the surname is most frequent in East Anglia.

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


Similar surnames: Feather, Starkweather, Merriweather, Fairbrother, Weathers, Faragher

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 Fairweather family from?

You can see how Fairweather families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fairweather family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fairweather families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 3 Fairweather families living in New York. This was about 38% of all the recorded Fairweather's in USA. New York had the highest population of Fairweather families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fairweather surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Fairweather ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Salesman and Secretary were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Fairweather. 16% of Fairweather men worked as a Salesman and 17% of Fairweather women worked as a Secretary. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fairweather were Carpenter and Operator. .

View Census Data for Fairweather | 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

  • Salesman
    16%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Farmer
    8%
  • Carpenter
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Secretary
    17%
  • Teacher
    9%
  • Maid
    8%
  • Operator
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Fairweather family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 47,000 census records available for the last name Fairweather. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fairweather census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Fairweather

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Fairweather. 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 Fairweather immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Fairweather. For the veterans among your Fairweather ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fairweather military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fairweather family history

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What is the average Fairweather lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Fairweather life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Fairweather in 1947 was 49, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fairweather

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