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Borrowdale Family History

Borrowdale Surname Meaning

from Borrowdale (Cumb) whose name is from Old Scandinavian borgar dalr ‘valley of the fortress’ or elliptically from borgará dalr ‘valley of Fortress River’. The switch from -o- to -a- in the first syllable may have been cemented by association with Barrow on Soar (Leics) right in the heart of this name's modern local distribution.

However, it is evident already in the 15th century in the NW whilst -o- also persists in the E Midlands: Jno Barradale 1758 Willm. Borrodale 1791 in IGI (Shepshed Leics).

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


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Where is the Borrowdale family from?

You can see how Borrowdale families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Borrowdale family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Borrowdale families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 100 Borrowdale families living in Cumberland. This was about 31% of all the recorded Borrowdale's in United Kingdom. Cumberland had the highest population of Borrowdale families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Borrowdale 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 Borrowdale 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 Borrowdale. 46% of Borrowdale men worked as a General Labourer and 86% of Borrowdale women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Borrowdale were Carpenter joiner and Retired.

View Census Data for Borrowdale | 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
    46%
  • Butcher
    19%
  • Machinist
    19%
  • Carpenter joiner
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    86%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Domestic Stewart
    3%
  • Retired
    2%

What Borrowdale family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Borrowdale. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Borrowdale census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Borrowdale

Passenger Lists

There are 523 immigration records available for the last name Borrowdale. 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 Borrowdale immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 215 military records available for the last name Borrowdale. For the veterans among your Borrowdale ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Borrowdale military records

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What is the average Borrowdale lifespan?

Between 1968 and 2003, in the United States, Borrowdale life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1985, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Borrowdale in 1968 was 59, and 52 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Borrowdale

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Borrowdale 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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