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Dafter Family History

Dafter Surname Meaning

Apparently from Middle English doughter, dohtor, douter (Old English dohtor) ‘daughter’, often pronounced in early Modern English as dafter. For the name to be borne by a man such that it became a hereditary surname is surprising, though there are occasional instances of men being named in this way (unless they are clerical errors).

Compare Robertus ffelisdoghter 1379 in Poll Tax (Wentworth WR Yorks); Johannes Wendoghter 1379 in Poll Tax (Clotherholme with Bishopton WR Yorks); and Ric' doghter Wryght 1379 in Poll Tax (South Elmsall WR Yorks).

Alternatively, Daughter might be a simplified pronunciation of Dawtrey (also spelled Daughtrey), a surname well evidenced in WR Yorks and Sussex, where Doughter and Daughter also occur; in which case the change to Dafter will have arisen through misinterpretation.

Compare Johna Dautre 1541 in IGI (Calne Wilts), Robert Daughtre 1585 in IGI (Edensor Derbys), and George Doughtre 1647 in IGI (Shrewsbury Shrops), any of which might be examples of either name.

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


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Where is the Dafter family from?

You can see how Dafter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dafter family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1840 and 1920. The most Dafter families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 18 Dafter families living in London. This was about 22% of all the recorded Dafter's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dafter families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dafter 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 Dafter ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Dafter. 89% of Dafter women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Dafter | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    89%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Domestic Duties
    6%

What Dafter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Dafter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dafter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dafter

Passenger Lists

There are 280 immigration records available for the last name Dafter. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 147 military records available for the last name Dafter. For the veterans among your Dafter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dafter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dafter family history

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What is the average Dafter lifespan?

Between 1973 and 2004, in the United States, Dafter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2004, and highest in 1985. The average life expectancy for Dafter in 1973 was 76, and 50 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dafter

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dafter 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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