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Defty Family History

Defty Surname Meaning

Perhaps from Middle English dighti ‘doughty’ and therefore a variant of Doughty, especially in the form Daughty, also spelled Dafty as the following bearers seem to illustrate.

Alternatively, from an unrecorded suffixed variant of the Middle English adjective defte or dafte ‘meek, humble’ or ‘skilful’ (Old English dæfte); compare Daft.

This would also explain the variation in the surname forms below, but in the absence of any medieval evidence for this word or name, this explanation must remain doubtful.

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


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Where is the Defty family from?

You can see how Defty families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Defty family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1891 and 1920. The most Defty families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 12 Defty families living in London. This was about 9% of all the recorded Defty's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Defty families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Defty 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 Defty 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 Defty. 24% of Defty men worked as a General Labourer and 89% of Defty women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Defty were Railway Clerk and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Defty | 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
    24%
  • Iron Foundry Labourer
    16%
  • General Labourer Heavy Worker
    16%
  • Railway Clerk
    16%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    89%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    5%
  • Household Duties (unpaid)
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%

What Defty family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Defty. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Defty census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Defty

Passenger Lists

There are 326 immigration records available for the last name Defty. 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 Defty immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 170 military records available for the last name Defty. For the veterans among your Defty ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Defty military records

You've only scratched the surface of Defty family history

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What is the average Defty lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2003, in the United States, Defty life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1976, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Defty in 1966 was 81, and 71 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Defty

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Defty 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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