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Footman Family History

Footman Surname Meaning

English: occupational name from Middle English fot-man (Old English fōt ‘foot’ + mann ‘man’) meaning ‘foot soldier, one who travels on foot’ or ‘foot servant’, the latter a meaning first recorded in late Middle English.

Any of these three senses may have given rise to the surname.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Footman family from?

You can see how Footman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Footman family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Footman families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 75 Footman families living in London. This was about 36% of all the recorded Footman's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Footman families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Footman 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 Footman ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Gas Fitter and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Footman. 50% of Footman men worked as a Gas Fitter and 85% of Footman women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Footman were General Labourer and Needleworker Hospital.

View Census Data for Footman | 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

  • Gas Fitter
    50%
  • General Labourer
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    85%
  • Private Means
    8%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    6%
  • Needleworker Hospital
    3%

What Footman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Footman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Footman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Footman

Passenger Lists

There are 442 immigration records available for the last name Footman. 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 Footman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 682 military records available for the last name Footman. For the veterans among your Footman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Footman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Footman family history

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What is the average Footman lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Footman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1969. The average life expectancy for Footman in 1951 was 51, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Footman

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Footman 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 Footman family tree

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