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Carver Family History

Carver Name Meaning

English: occupational name for a carver of wood or a sculptor of stone, from an agent derivative of Middle English kerve(n) ‘to cut or carve’. English: occupational name for a plowman, from Anglo-Norman French caruier, from Late Latin carrucarius, a derivative of carruca ‘cart’, ‘plow’. Americanized spelling of German Garber, Gerber, or Körber (see Koerber). Irish: variant of Carvey. Possibly also a reduced form of Irish McCarver.

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


Similar surnames: Carter, Carder, Cater, Barber, Haver, Sarver, Carner, Karner, Warner

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 Carver family from?

You can see how Carver families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Carver family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Carver families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 64 Carver families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 14% of all the recorded Carver's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Carver families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Carver 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 Carver ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Carver. 19% of Carver men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Carver women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Carver were Carpenter and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Carver | 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

  • Farmer
    19%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Carpenter
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    9%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Clerk
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Carver family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 164,000 census records available for the last name Carver. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Carver census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Carver

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Carver. 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 Carver immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 31,000 military records available for the last name Carver. For the veterans among your Carver ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Carver military records

You've only scratched the surface of Carver family history

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What is the average Carver lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Carver life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Carver in 1942 was 33, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Carver

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