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Ashford Family History

Ashford Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of several places called Ashford. Those in Devon Derbyshire and Shropshire are named from Old English æsc ‘ash’ + ford ‘ford’.

One in Middlesex is first recorded in 969 as Ecelesford and is probably from the personal name Eccel, a diminutive of Ecca ‘edge (of a sword)’ + ford.

The one in Kent is from æscet ‘clump of ash trees’ + ford.

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


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Where is the Ashford family from?

You can see how Ashford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ashford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ashford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 554 Ashford families living in London. This was about 17% of all the recorded Ashford's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Ashford families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ashford 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 Ashford 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 Ashford. 9% of Ashford men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Ashford women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ashford were Builders Labourer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Ashford | 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
    9%
  • Gardener
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Ashford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 90,000 census records available for the last name Ashford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ashford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ashford

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Ashford. 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 Ashford immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Ashford. For the veterans among your Ashford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ashford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ashford family history

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What is the average Ashford lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Ashford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Ashford in 1945 was 22, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ashford

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ashford 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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