Beaver Family History

Beaver Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Belvoir in Leicestershire pronounced beever (/bi:və/) so named with Old French beu bel ‘fair lovely’ + veïr voir ‘to see’ i.e. a place with a fine view. This name may also be derived from any of several places in France called Beauvoir for example in Manche, Somme, and Seine-Maritime, all of which have the same etymology as above.

English: nickname from Middle English bever bevre (Old English beofor) ‘beaver’ possibly referring to a hard worker or from some other fancied resemblance to the animal. The existence of patronymic forms such as Beaverson suggest that this may also have been a personal name.

Native American (Creek): from a translation into English of the Muscogee Creek clan name Echaswvlke (‘Beaver clan’) derived from a word meaning ‘beaver’. Native American: translation into English (and shortening) of any other personal name based on a word such as Cheyenne homa'e meaning ‘beaver’.

The importance of the beaver to Native Americans is reflected in their traditional personal names, some of which were adopted as surnames (translated into English) e.g. Beaver Heart (in Cheyenne Homa'ehesta; see also Hart).

Americanized form (translation into English) of cognates of 2 above in other languages in particular Dutch Bever and German Bieber.

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

Similar surnames: Bever, Weaver, Beaber, Berner, Beamer, Haver, Seaver, Beever, Blamer, Deaver

739,000 record(s) for Beaver

175K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
21K	Military Records
7K	Immigration Records
117K	Census and Voter Lists
418K	Member Trees

Where is the Beaver family from?

You can see how Beaver families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Beaver family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Beaver families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 61 Beaver families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 25% of all the recorded Beaver's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Beaver families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Beaver surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Beaver ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Beaver. 18% of Beaver men worked as a Laborer and 10% of Beaver women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Beaver were Truck driver and Stenographer.

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

18%

Farmer

18%

Salesman

5%

Truck driver

5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Housewife

10%

Housekeeper

6%

Housework

6%

Stenographer

6%

What Beaver family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 117K census records available for the last name Beaver. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Beaver census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 7K immigration records available for the last name Beaver. 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.

Military Records

There are 21K military records available for the last name Beaver. For the veterans among your Beaver ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Beaver lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Beaver life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Beaver in 1942 was 59, and 75 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Beaver 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.