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Beard Family History

Beard Surname Meaning

English:: nickname for a bearded man (from Middle English berd Old English beard). To be clean-shaven was the norm in non-Jewish communities in northwestern Europe from the 12th to the 16th century, the crucial period for surname formation.

There is a placename and other evidence to show that this word was used as a byname in the Old English period when beards were the norm; in this period the byname would have referred to a large or noticeable beard.

In North America, this surname has absorbed cognates and equivalents in other languages, in particular German Barth, habitational name from a place called Beard in Derbyshire (now represented by Beard Hall and Beardwood Farms in New Mills parish).

This location derives its name by dissimilation from Old English brerd ‘rim, bank’.

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


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Where is the Beard family from?

You can see how Beard families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Beard family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Beard families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,385 Beard families living in London. This was about 16% of all the recorded Beard's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Beard families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Beard 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 Beard 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 Beard. 10% of Beard men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Beard women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Beard were Bricklayer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Beard | 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
    10%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Beard family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Beard

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Beard. 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 Beard immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 54,000 military records available for the last name Beard. For the veterans among your Beard ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Beard military records

You've only scratched the surface of Beard family history

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What is the average Beard lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Beard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Beard in 1941 was 30, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Beard

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Beard 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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