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Besford Family History

Besford Surname Meaning

from Besford (Worcs) or Besford in Shawbury (Shrops). Both place-names are from the Old English male given name Betti in the genitive case with -es + ford ‘ford’.

The Worcs name appears as Bettesford in a pre-Conquest charter.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Besford family from?

You can see how Besford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Besford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1851 and 1920. The most Besford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 42 Besford families living in Northumberland. This was about 31% of all the recorded Besford's in United Kingdom. Northumberland had the highest population of Besford families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Besford 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 Besford ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Besford. 100% of Besford men worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties and 87% of Besford women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Besford | 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

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    87%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%

What Besford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Besford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Besford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Besford

Passenger Lists

There are 311 immigration records available for the last name Besford. 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 Besford immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 207 military records available for the last name Besford. For the veterans among your Besford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Besford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Besford family history

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What is the average Besford lifespan?

Between 1971 and 1994, in the United States, Besford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1971, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Besford in 1971 was 57, and 80 in 1994.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Besford

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Besford 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Besford family tree

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