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Held Family History

Held Surname Meaning

German, Dutch, and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname from Middle High German, Middle Dutch, Yiddish held ‘hero’. As a Jewish name, it is often artificial.

German and Dutch: from a short form of any of the ancient Germanic personal names formed with hild ‘strife’ as the first element.

English: variant of Heald.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Held family from?

You can see how Held families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Held family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Held families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 28 Held families living in London. This was about 28% of all the recorded Held's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Held families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Held 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 Held ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Held. 50% of Held men worked as a Builders Labourer and 82% of Held women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Held were General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Held | 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

  • Builders Labourer
    50%
  • General Labourer
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Shorthand Typist
    8%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    6%

What Held family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 54,000 census records available for the last name Held. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Held census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Held

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Held. 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 Held immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 55,000 military records available for the last name Held. For the veterans among your Held ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Held military records

You've only scratched the surface of Held family history

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What is the average Held lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Held life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Held in 1943 was 48, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Held

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Held 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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