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Gear Family History

Gear Name Meaning

English: nickname from Middle English gere ‘fit of passion’ (see Geary ). Possibly an altered form of German Gier .

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


Similar surnames: Geary, Bear, Pear, Tear, Dear, Fear, Bean, Lear, Geer, Gaar

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 Gear family from?

You can see how Gear families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gear family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gear families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 21 Gear families living in New York. This was about 26% of all the recorded Gear's in USA. New York had the highest population of Gear families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gear surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gear ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gear. 22% of Gear men worked as a Laborer and 13% of Gear women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gear were Truck Driver and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Gear | 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
    22%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    13%
  • Housekeeper
    11%
  • Maid
    9%
  • Clerk
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gear family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 45,000 census records available for the last name Gear. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gear census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Gear

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Gear. 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 Gear immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Gear. For the veterans among your Gear ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gear military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gear family history

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What is the average Gear lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Gear life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Gear in 1940 was 32, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gear

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gear family tree

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