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Byford Family History

Byford Name Meaning

English (Essex and Sussex): habitational name from Byford Herefordshire. The name is derived from Old English byge ‘bend’ + ford ‘ford’. Alternatively a topographic name for someone who lived by a ford from Middle English by ‘by beside’ + ford.

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


Similar surnames: Ford, Lyford, Elford, Bamford, Bedford, Byfield, Belford, Alford

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Byford family from?

You can see how Byford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Byford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Byford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 537 Byford families living in Essex. This was about 36% of all the recorded Byford's in United Kingdom. Essex had the highest population of Byford families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Byford surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Byford 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 Byford. 12% of Byford men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Byford women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Byford were Gardener and Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Byford | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    12%
  • Incapacitated
    7%
  • Retired
    4%
  • Gardener
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Byford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 31,000 census records available for the last name Byford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Byford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Byford

Passenger Lists

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

View all Byford immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Byford. For the veterans among your Byford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Byford military records

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What is the average Byford lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Byford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Byford in 1954 was 42, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Byford

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