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Deford Family History

Deford Surname Meaning

Altered form of French Dufort. English: variant of Difford a habitational name from one or more of the places called from a ‘deep ford’ (Middle English dep + ford Old English dēop + ford)

such as Defford (Worcestershire) Deptford (Kent) a lost Defford in Stanley (Yorkshire) and Dipper in Whitstone (Cornwall).

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


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Where is the Deford family from?

You can see how Deford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Deford family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Deford families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 16 Deford families living in London. This was about 33% of all the recorded Deford's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Deford families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Deford 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 Deford ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Deford. 24% of Deford men worked as a Laborer and 34% of Deford women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Deford were Clerk and Office Clerk.

View Census Data for Deford | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    24%
  • Farmer
    17%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    34%
  • Teacher
    10%
  • Secretary
    10%
  • Office Clerk
    7%

What Deford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Deford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Deford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Deford

Passenger Lists

There are 454 immigration records available for the last name Deford. 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 Deford immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Deford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Deford family history

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What is the average Deford lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Deford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Deford in 1951 was 44, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Deford

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Deford 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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