This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Card family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Card Family History

Card Surname Meaning

English (Kent and Sussex): perhaps from Middle English carde ‘card’ an implement for teasing wool for spinning (from medieval Latin cardus) and therefore short for Carder or a metonymic occupational name for a maker of wool carders.

Alternatively from Middle English carde ‘playing card’ (Old French carte) also ‘kind of fabric’ (medieval Latin carda) which could have been a nickname given to a card player or a metonymic occupational name for maker and seller of the fabric.

Irish: shortened form of McCard.

French: from a shortened form of the personal name Ricardon a pet form of Richard.

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


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Card family from?

You can see how Card families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Card family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Card families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 393 Card families living in Kent. This was about 20% of all the recorded Card's in United Kingdom. Kent had the highest population of Card families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Card surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Card 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 Card. 12% of Card men worked as a General Labourer and 74% of Card women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Card were Bricklayer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Card | 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
    12%
  • Gardener
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%
  • Bricklayer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Card family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 104,000 census records available for the last name Card. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Card census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Card

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Card. 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 Card immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Card. For the veterans among your Card ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Card military records

You've only scratched the surface of Card family history

Discover More

What is the average Card lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Card life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1956. The average life expectancy for Card in 1943 was 45, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Card

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Card 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Card family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial