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Onion Family History

Onion Name Meaning

Welsh: from a variant of the personal name Hennion (see Eynon ) through false association by folk etymology with the English vocabulary word onion. English (Midlands): perhaps a metonymic occupational name from Middle English oinyon ‘onion’ (Old French oignon) perhaps given to a grower or seller of onions. English: alternatively possibly a variant of Unwin .

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


Similar surnames: Union, Wion, Lion, Oien, Okon, Pinion, Mion, Minion, Ion, Condon

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Onion family from?

You can see how Onion families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Onion family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Onion families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 8 Onion families living in Massachusetts. This was about 31% of all the recorded Onion's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Onion families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Onion surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Onion ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and New Worker were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Onion. 32% of Onion men worked as a Laborer and 34% of Onion women worked as a New Worker. Some less common occupations for Americans named Onion were Operator and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Onion | 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
    32%
  • Machinist
    19%
  • Loading Coal
    13%
  • Operator
    13%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • New Worker
    34%
  • Housewife
    34%
  • Teacher
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Onion family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Onion. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Onion census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Onion

Passenger Lists

There are 538 immigration records available for the last name Onion. 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 1,000 military records available for the last name Onion. For the veterans among your Onion ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Onion lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Onion life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1975, and highest in 1983. The average life expectancy for Onion in 1959 was 53, and 88 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Onion

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