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Ponsford Family History

Ponsford Surname Meaning

English (mainly Devon): habitational name from Ponsford in Devon recorded in Domesday Book as Pontesfort and in 1249 as Pauncefort. The placename may derive from a river name Pont (from Proto-Welsh pant ‘hollow valley’)

+ Old English ford ‘ford’.

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


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Where is the Ponsford family from?

You can see how Ponsford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ponsford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ponsford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 219 Ponsford families living in Devon. This was about 26% of all the recorded Ponsford's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Ponsford families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ponsford 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 Ponsford 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 Ponsford. 16% of Ponsford men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Ponsford women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ponsford were Chauffeur and Private Means.

View Census Data for Ponsford | 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
    16%
  • Bricklayer
    5%
  • Hawker
    5%
  • Chauffeur
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Ponsford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 16,000 census records available for the last name Ponsford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ponsford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ponsford

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Ponsford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ponsford family history

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What is the average Ponsford lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2003, in the United States, Ponsford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1968, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Ponsford in 1956 was 43, and 87 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ponsford

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ponsford 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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