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Cardiff Family History

Cardiff Surname Meaning

Welsh and Irish: habitational name from the Welsh city of Cardiff in Glamorgan named with Welsh caer ‘fort’ + the genitive singular of the river name Taf from Welsh taf ‘water stream’. The name was taken to Ireland in or shortly after 1171 following the acquisition of the kingdom of Leinster by ‘Strongbow’ (Richard de Clare Earl of Pembroke) and of Dublin by Henry II who granted the city to the burgesses of Bristol.

The surname was Gaelicized as de Carduibh.

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


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Where is the Cardiff family from?

You can see how Cardiff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cardiff family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cardiff families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1891 there were 61 Cardiff families living in Lancashire. This was about 78% of all the recorded Cardiff's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Cardiff families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cardiff 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 Cardiff 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 Cardiff. 100% of Cardiff men worked as a General Labourer and 86% of Cardiff women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Cardiff | 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
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    86%
  • Married Woman
    8%
  • Actress
    8%

What Cardiff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Cardiff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cardiff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cardiff

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Cardiff. 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 Cardiff immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Cardiff. For the veterans among your Cardiff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cardiff military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cardiff family history

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What is the average Cardiff lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Cardiff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1984, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Cardiff in 1963 was 73, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cardiff

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cardiff 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Cardiff family tree

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