Beaver Family History

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Beaver Name Meaning

English (of Norman origin): habitational name from any of several places in France called Beauvoir, for example in Manche, Somme, and Seine-Maritime, or from Belvoir in Leicestershire. All of these are named with Old French beu, bel ‘fair’, ‘lovely’ + veïr, voir ‘to see’, i.e. a place with a fine view. English: nickname from Middle English bevere, 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. Probably a translation of cognates of 2 in other languages, in particular Dutch Bever and German Bieber. Possibly a variant of Welsh Bevan.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


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

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Beaver Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Beaver name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Beaver. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    52%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    19%

  • Germanic Europe

    10%

  • Norway

    3%

  • France

    2%

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Beaver Family Origin

Where is the Beaver family from?

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1840
    1920
    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 the USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 61 Beaver families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 25% of all the recorded Beaver's in the 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.

    View Census Data for Beaver

    Beaver Family Occupations

    What did your Beaver ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, the most common Beaver occupation in the USA was Farmer. 48% of Beaver's were Farmers. A less common occupation for the Beaver family was Farming. Farmer, Laborer and Keeping House were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Beaver.

    View Census data for Beaver | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      48%

    • Laborer

      7%

    • Keeping House

      5%

    • Farming

      4%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Beaver ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Beaver Historical Records

    What Beaver family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 117,000 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.

    Search 1940's US census records for Beaver

    Passenger List

    There are 7,000 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.

    View all Beaver immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 21,000 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.

    View all Beaver military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Beaver family history.

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    Beaver Life Expectancy

    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.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Beaver

    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.

    Famous Beaver Family Ancestors

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