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Orford Family History

Orford Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of the three places in England called Orford: in Suffolk, Stainton le Vale (Lincolnshire), and Warrington (Lancashire). The Suffolk placename is derived from Old English ōra ‘river bank’ + ford ‘ford river crossing’.

The Lincolnshire placename is most likely from an Old English personal name Ēra or Ȳra + ford. The Lancashire placename probably derives from Old English uferra ‘upper’ + ford.

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


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Where is the Orford family from?

You can see how Orford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Orford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Orford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 187 Orford families living in Lancashire. This was about 22% of all the recorded Orford's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Orford families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Orford 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 Orford ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, House Painter and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Orford. 12% of Orford men worked as a House Painter and 77% of Orford women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Orford were Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duti.

View Census Data for Orford | 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

  • House Painter
    12%
  • General Labourer
    12%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Builders Labourer
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    2%

What Orford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 22,000 census records available for the last name Orford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Orford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Orford

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Orford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Orford family history

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What is the average Orford lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Orford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2000, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Orford in 1961 was 47, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Orford

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Orford 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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