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Gower Family History

Gower Name Meaning

English (of Norman origin): habitational name for someone from Gohiere the Old French form of what is now known as Goelle the country north of Paris. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Anglo-Norman French Goier Joier denoting a man from any of several places in Normandy and Picardy called Gouy Joué or Jouy (derived from the Latin personal name Gaudius Old French Goi Joi + -acum ‘joy’). English (of Norman origin): from a Norman personal name Go(h)ier ancient Germanic Godehar cognate with the Old English name mentioned at Gooder . Probably an Americanized form of German Gauer .

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


Similar surnames: Power, Bower, Tower, Goyer, Lower, Mower, Dower, Gomer, Comer, Hower

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Gower family from?

You can see how Gower families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gower family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gower families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 15 Gower families living in Maine. This was about 16% of all the recorded Gower's in USA. Maine and 1 other state had the highest population of Gower families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gower 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 Gower ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gower. 26% of Gower men worked as a Laborer and 11% of Gower women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gower were Carpenter and Maid. .

View Census Data for Gower | 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
    26%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    11%
  • Teacher
    9%
  • Waitress
    9%
  • Maid
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gower family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 94,000 census records available for the last name Gower. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gower census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Gower

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Gower. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Gower. For the veterans among your Gower ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Gower lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Gower life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Gower in 1948 was 49, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gower

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