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Rear Family History

Rear Name Meaning

English (Lincolnshire): apparently a nickname from Middle English rere ‘rear hindmost; soft-cooked’ although the precise application is unclear.

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


Similar surnames: Frear, Reay, Read, Lear, Pear, Bear, Reap, Gear, Sear, Wear

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 Rear family from?

You can see how Rear families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rear family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rear families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there was 1 Rear family living in Alabama. This was about 25% of all the recorded Rear's in USA. Alabama and 3 other states had the highest population of Rear families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rear surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Rear ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Bookkeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Rear. 35% of Rear men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Rear women worked as a Bookkeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rear were Truck Driver and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Rear | 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
    35%
  • Salesman
    15%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Truck Driver
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Bookkeeper
    34%
  • Operator
    17%
  • Teacher
    17%
  • Stenographer
    17%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Rear family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 15,000 census records available for the last name Rear. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rear census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Rear

Passenger Lists

There are 924 immigration records available for the last name Rear. 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 Rear immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 18,000 military records available for the last name Rear. For the veterans among your Rear ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rear military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rear family history

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What is the average Rear lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Rear life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1997, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Rear in 1954 was 58, and 88 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rear

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Rear family tree

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