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Cowburn Family History

Cowburn Surname Meaning

from Cowburn in Kirkham (Lancs) as the earliest bearers below suggest. The -r- is sometimes lost or metathesized.

Colborne is probably a hypercorrect form restoring an unhistorical -l- (see Colbourne).

in WR Yorks it is possibly a variant of Colbran as Redmonds argues with vocalization of the -l- and metathesis or -r- or a variant of Colbourne.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Cowburn family from?

You can see how Cowburn families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cowburn family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Cowburn families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 7 Cowburn families living in Ontario. This was about 88% of all the recorded Cowburn's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Cowburn families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cowburn surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Cowburn ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cowburn. 15% of Cowburn men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Cowburn women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cowburn were Carpenter and Unpaid Domestic Dutie.

View Census Data for Cowburn | 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.

England shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    15%
  • Cotton Weaver
    7%
  • Shop Keeper Butcher
    5%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Cotton Weaver
    6%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dutie
    3%

What Cowburn family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 16,000 census records available for the last name Cowburn. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cowburn census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Cowburn

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Cowburn. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cowburn immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 999 military records available for the last name Cowburn. For the veterans among your Cowburn ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cowburn military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cowburn family history

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What is the average Cowburn lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2003, in the United States, Cowburn life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1980. The average life expectancy for Cowburn in 1953 was 30, and 92 in 2003.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cowburn ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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