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Birtwistle Family History

Birtwistle Surname Meaning

from a lost place called Birtwisle in Padiham (Lancs) or from Briestwistle in Thornhill (WR Yorks) which is recorded as Brerethwisel in 1243 or from a lost Breretwisel in Wath on Dearne (WR Yorks).

The Lancs name is from bridd ‘young bird’ in the genitive case with -es (or a personal name from this) + twisla ‘fork in a stream’.

The first element in the Yorks names is brēr ‘briar’.

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


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Where is the Birtwistle family from?

You can see how Birtwistle families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Birtwistle family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most Birtwistle families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,685 Birtwistle families living in Lancashire. This was about 89% of all the recorded Birtwistle's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Birtwistle families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Birtwistle 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 Birtwistle ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Cotton Weaver and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Birtwistle. 16% of Birtwistle men worked as a Cotton Weaver and 65% of Birtwistle women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Birtwistle were Motor Driver and Unpaid Domestic Dutie.

View Census Data for Birtwistle | 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

  • Cotton Weaver
    16%
  • General Labourer
    13%
  • Joiner
    9%
  • Motor Driver
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Cotton Weaver
    10%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dutie
    3%

What Birtwistle family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 16,000 census records available for the last name Birtwistle. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Birtwistle census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Birtwistle

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Birtwistle. 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 Birtwistle immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Birtwistle. For the veterans among your Birtwistle ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Birtwistle military records

You've only scratched the surface of Birtwistle family history

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What is the average Birtwistle lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2003, in the United States, Birtwistle life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1971, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Birtwistle in 1962 was 73, and 86 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Birtwistle

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Birtwistle 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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