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Owens Family History

Owens Surname Meaning

Welsh: variant of Owen with post-medieval excrescent English -s.

Irish: adopted as an Anglicized form by bearers of the Gaelic surname Mac Eoghain (see McEwen).

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


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Where is the Owens family from?

You can see how Owens families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Owens family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Owens families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 184 Owens families living in New York. This was about 12% of all the recorded Owens's in USA. New York had the highest population of Owens families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Owens 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 Owens ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Owens. 18% of Owens men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Owens women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Owens were Truck Driver and Cook.

View Census Data for Owens | 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
    18%
  • Farmer
    18%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Cook
    6%

What Owens family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 738,000 census records available for the last name Owens. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Owens census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Owens

Passenger Lists

There are 108,000 immigration records available for the last name Owens. 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 Owens immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 146,000 military records available for the last name Owens. For the veterans among your Owens ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Owens military records

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