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Taft Family History

Taft Surname Meaning

English (mainly Staffordshire and Derbyshire): variant of Toft.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial or metonymic occupational name from German Taft ‘taffeta’.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Taft family from?

You can see how Taft families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Taft family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Taft families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 108 Taft families living in Staffordshire. This was about 22% of all the recorded Taft's in United Kingdom. Staffordshire had the highest population of Taft families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Taft 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 Taft 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 Taft. 16% of Taft men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Taft women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Taft were Chartered Accountant and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Taft | 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%
  • Locksmith
    11%
  • Postman
    11%
  • Chartered Accountant
    11%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Household Duties
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%

What Taft family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 63,000 census records available for the last name Taft. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Taft census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Taft

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Taft. 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 Taft immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Taft. For the veterans among your Taft ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Taft military records

You've only scratched the surface of Taft family history

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What is the average Taft lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Taft life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Taft in 1943 was 41, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Taft

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Taft 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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