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Dawn Family History

Dawn Surname Meaning

English (Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire): of Norman origin probably a clipped form of Dawnay or Dawney (compare Dana) habitational names from one of the many places in northern France named for an alder grove (Old French aulnai aulnoi Latinized as alnetum). With fused preposition d(e) Anglo-Norman d'Aunai became Dawnay Dawney and (with loss of the final syllable) Dawn.

Laney is another form of this surname with fused definite article. See also Dando from Anglo-Norman d'Aunou with which d'Aunai may sometimes have been confused.

English: from Middle English Dawen, a variant of Dawes with the weak declension genitival suffix -(e)n (Old English -an) instead of the standard Middle English -es. The usage is mainly restricted to West Midlands dialects of Middle English.

Americanized form of German Daun.

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


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Where is the Dawn family from?

You can see how Dawn families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dawn family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dawn families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 31 Dawn families living in Ontario. This was about 53% of all the recorded Dawn's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Dawn families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dawn surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Dawn ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Finisher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Dawn. 82% of Dawn men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Dawn women worked as a Finisher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dawn were Laborer and Student.

View Census Data for Dawn | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    82%
  • Laborer
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Finisher
    50%
  • Student
    50%

What Dawn family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Dawn. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dawn census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Dawn

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Dawn. 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 Dawn immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Dawn. For the veterans among your Dawn ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dawn military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dawn family history

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What is the average Dawn lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Dawn life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1976. The average life expectancy for Dawn in 1950 was 41, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dawn

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dawn 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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