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Stafford Family History

Stafford Surname Meaning

English: habitational name principally from Stafford (Staffordshire) but occasionally from other places with similar names such as Stafford House in Ifield (Sussex), possibly East and West Stowford in East Down (Devon), and three minor places in Devon called Stafford in Dolton, Broadhembury, and Colyton parishes.

The places are all named with Old English ford ‘ford’ as the final element but have different initial elements. The Staffordshire placename has Old English stæth ‘river bank, shore’; Stafford in Colyton (Devon) has Old English stān ‘stone, rock’;

the Sussex placename has Old English stēor ‘steer, bullock’; East and West Stowford (Devon) have Old English stæf ‘staff, stave, rod’; Stafford in Dolton and Stafford in Broadhembury (Devon) may have Old English stæth, stān, or stæf.

Irish (Wexford): variant of Stocker.

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


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Where is the Stafford family from?

You can see how Stafford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Stafford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Stafford families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,216 Stafford families living in Lancashire. This was about 18% of all the recorded Stafford's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Stafford families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Stafford 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 Stafford 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 Stafford. 10% of Stafford men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Stafford women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Stafford were Incapacitated and Housewife.

View Census Data for Stafford | 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
    10%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Dairy Farmer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Stafford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 319,000 census records available for the last name Stafford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Stafford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Stafford

Passenger Lists

There are 37,000 immigration records available for the last name Stafford. 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 Stafford immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 55,000 military records available for the last name Stafford. For the veterans among your Stafford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Stafford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Stafford family history

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What is the average Stafford lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Stafford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Stafford in 1940 was 45, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Stafford

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Stafford 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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