Wear Family History

Wear Surname Meaning

English (Northumbria) is a topographic name for someone who lived by the Wear river in northeastern England. The river name is ancient, occurring in the form Vedra in Ptolemy's Geographia; it is probably from a Celtic word meaning ‘water’.

This designation also refers to a topographic name for someone who lived near a dam or weir. It is a variant of Ware.

Additionally, it may serve as a habitational name from a place called Weare in Devon and Somerset. It derives from Old English wær and wer, meaning ‘weir’.

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

Similar surnames: Weir, Bear, Pear, Wehr, Lear, Mears, Bean, Hoar, Haar, Dear

48K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
9K	Military Records
2K	Immigration Records
38K	Census and Voter Lists
111K	Member Trees

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Where is the Wear family from?

You can see how Wear families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wear family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wear families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 41 Wear families living in Ontario. This was about 40% of all the recorded Wear's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Wear families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wear surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Wear

What did your Wear ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Wear.

View Census Data for Wear

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.

Farmer

40%

Gardener

15%

Labourer

15%

Agent

What Wear family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 38K census records available for the last name Wear. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wear census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Wear

Passenger List

There are 2K immigration records available for the last name Wear. 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 Wear immigration records

Military Records

There are 9K military records available for the last name Wear. For the veterans among your Wear ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wear military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wear family history

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What is the average Wear lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Wear life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Wear in 1944 was 50, and 75 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Wear family tree

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Wear Surname Meaning

This designation also refers to a topographic name for someone who lived near a dam or weir. It is a variant of Ware.

Additionally, it may serve as a habitational name from a place called Weare in Devon and Somerset. It derives from Old English wær and wer, meaning ‘weir’.

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

Where is the Wear family from?

What did your Wear ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Wear.

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.

Farmer

40%

Gardener

15%

Labourer

15%

Agent

What Wear family records will you find?

What is the average Wear lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Wear life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Wear in 1944 was 50, and 75 in 2004.

Wear Family History

Wear Surname Meaning

210,000 record(s) for Wear

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Wear family from?

What did your Wear ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

What Wear family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Wear family history

What is the average Wear lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Wear family tree

Search for another surname

Wear Surname Meaning

210,000 record(s) for Wear

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Wear family from?

What did your Wear ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

What Wear family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Wear family history

What is the average Wear lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Wear family tree

Search for another surname