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Borthwick Family History

Borthwick Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from the old barony of Borthwick formerly Loquhariot (Midlothian) and possibly also from Borthwick (Roxburghshire).

The placenames are from Old English bord ‘board table’ + wīc ‘outlying dairy farm’.

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


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Where is the Borthwick family from?

You can see how Borthwick families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Borthwick family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Borthwick families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 133 Borthwick families living in Durham. This was about 23% of all the recorded Borthwick's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Borthwick families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Borthwick 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 Borthwick 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 Borthwick. 18% of Borthwick men worked as a General Labourer and 84% of Borthwick women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Borthwick were Shipwright and Housewife.

View Census Data for Borthwick | 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
    18%
  • Timber Worker Heavy W
    7%
  • Incapacitated
    7%
  • Shipwright
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    84%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Borthwick family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 28,000 census records available for the last name Borthwick. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Borthwick census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Borthwick

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Borthwick. 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 Borthwick immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Borthwick. For the veterans among your Borthwick ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Borthwick military records

You've only scratched the surface of Borthwick family history

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What is the average Borthwick lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Borthwick life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Borthwick in 1943 was 37, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Borthwick

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Borthwick 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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