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Underwood Family History

Underwood Surname Meaning

English: topographic name for someone who lived below a wood on a hillside from Middle English under + wude wode ‘wood’ or a habitational name for someone from any place so named.

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


Similar surnames: Underdown, Greenwood, Henwood, Sherwood, Norwood, Calderwood, Harwood

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 Underwood family from?

You can see how Underwood families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Underwood family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Underwood families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 108 Underwood families living in New York. This was about 12% of all the recorded Underwood's in USA. New York had the highest population of Underwood families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Underwood surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Underwood ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Underwood. 19% of Underwood men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Underwood women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Underwood were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Underwood | 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
    19%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Maid
    7%
  • Teacher
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Underwood family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 367,000 census records available for the last name Underwood. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Underwood census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Underwood

Passenger Lists

There are 22,000 immigration records available for the last name Underwood. 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 Underwood immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 57,000 military records available for the last name Underwood. For the veterans among your Underwood ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Underwood military records

You've only scratched the surface of Underwood family history

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What is the average Underwood lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Underwood life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Underwood in 1940 was 34, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Underwood

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Underwood family tree

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