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Belford Family History

Belford Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from a place in Northumberland and North Yorkshire named Belford from Old English belle ‘bell-shaped hill’ + ford ‘ford’.

Scottish: habitational name from Belford in Roxburghshire.

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


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Where is the Belford family from?

You can see how Belford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Belford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Belford families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 42 Belford families living in London. This was about 20% of all the recorded Belford's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Belford families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Belford 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 Belford ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Colliery Hewer Below and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Belford. 25% of Belford men worked as a Colliery Hewer Below and 79% of Belford women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Belford were Student and Private Means.

View Census Data for Belford | 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

  • Colliery Hewer Below
    25%
  • General Labourer
    25%
  • Bricklayer
    20%
  • Student
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    8%
  • School Teacher Retired
    5%
  • Private Means
    5%

What Belford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 20,000 census records available for the last name Belford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Belford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Belford

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Belford. 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 Belford immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Belford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Belford family history

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What is the average Belford lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Belford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Belford in 1943 was 31, and 66 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Belford

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Belford 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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