This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Birkby family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Birkby Family History

Birkby Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Birkby Hill in Thorner (Yorkshire). The placename is recorded as Bretebi in 1086 and is a compound of Old Norse Bretar + bȳ ‘farmstead of the Britons’.

Compare Burpee.

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


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Birkby family from?

You can see how Birkby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Birkby family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Birkby families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 296 Birkby families living in Yorkshire. This was about 80% of all the recorded Birkby's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Birkby families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Birkby surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Birkby ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer (mixed) Heavy Worker and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Birkby. 28% of Birkby men worked as a Farmer (mixed) Heavy Worker and 81% of Birkby women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Birkby were Farmer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Birkby | 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

  • Farmer (mixed) Heavy Worker
    28%
  • General Labourer
    19%
  • Incapacitated
    19%
  • Farmer
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    81%
  • Domestic Duties Unpaid
    3%
  • Paid Domestic Duties
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Birkby family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Birkby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Birkby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Birkby

Passenger Lists

There are 641 immigration records available for the last name Birkby. 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 Birkby immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 447 military records available for the last name Birkby. For the veterans among your Birkby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Birkby military records

You've only scratched the surface of Birkby family history

Discover More

What is the average Birkby lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2003, in the United States, Birkby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1981, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Birkby in 1963 was 78, and 80 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Birkby

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Birkby 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 Birkby family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial