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Calder Family History

Calder Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from any of the places called Calder in Midlothian and Caithness or Cawdor in Nairnshire.

English: perhaps a habitational name from Calder in Cumbria named from the river on which it stands (probably a British name from Welsh caled ‘hard violent’ + dwfr ‘water stream’).

However the modern surname in England seems to be of Scottish origin rather than from the Cumbrian placename.

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


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Where is the Calder family from?

You can see how Calder families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Calder family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Calder families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 225 Calder families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Calder's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Calder families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Calder 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 Calder 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 Calder. 21% of Calder men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Calder women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Calder were Incapacitated and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Calder | 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
    21%
  • Police Constable
    11%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Private Means
    6%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%

What Calder family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 99,000 census records available for the last name Calder. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Calder census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Calder

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Calder. 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 Calder immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Calder. For the veterans among your Calder ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Calder military records

You've only scratched the surface of Calder family history

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What is the average Calder lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Calder life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Calder in 1948 was 61, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Calder

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Calder 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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