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Breed Family History

Breed Surname Meaning

English (Bedfordshire): topographic name for someone who lived ‘(by the) broad place’ typically a cultivated strip of land in an area of common land from Middle English brede (Old English brǣdu ‘breadth’) or a habitational name from any of various minor places so named for example Brede in Sussex named from the same word with the sense ‘broad valley>.

Dutch: nickname for a well-built man from breed ‘broad’.

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


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Where is the Breed family from?

You can see how Breed families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Breed family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Breed families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 177 Breed families living in Bedfordshire. This was about 30% of all the recorded Breed's in United Kingdom. Bedfordshire had the highest population of Breed families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Breed 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 Breed 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 Breed. 16% of Breed men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Breed women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Breed were Gardener and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Breed | 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
    16%
  • Builders Labourer
    14%
  • Incapacitated
    11%
  • Gardener
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

What Breed family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 33,000 census records available for the last name Breed. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Breed census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Breed

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Breed. 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 Breed immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Breed. For the veterans among your Breed ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Breed military records

You've only scratched the surface of Breed family history

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What is the average Breed lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Breed life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Breed in 1941 was 53, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Breed

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Breed 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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