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Hilliard Family History

Hilliard Surname Meaning

English (southeastern England and Midlands):: variant of Hillier with excrescent -d. Compare Hillard, Heller, and Hellard.

Of Norman origin from the Middle English female personal name Hildiard, Holdiard, Anglo-Norman French forms of ancient Germanic Hildigard, Hildiardis.

These names are derived from hild ‘battle’ + gard ‘protective enclosure, yard’.

Either this or the name above was brought to Ireland from Yorkshire in the 17th century.

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


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Where is the Hilliard family from?

You can see how Hilliard families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hilliard family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hilliard families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 287 Hilliard families living in London. This was about 34% of all the recorded Hilliard's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Hilliard families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hilliard 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 Hilliard ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, French Polisher and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Hilliard. 18% of Hilliard men worked as a French Polisher and 72% of Hilliard women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hilliard were Builders Labourer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Hilliard | 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

  • French Polisher
    18%
  • General Labourer
    15%
  • Wood Machinist
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Housewife
    4%

What Hilliard family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 89,000 census records available for the last name Hilliard. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hilliard census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Hilliard

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Hilliard. 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 Hilliard immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 18,000 military records available for the last name Hilliard. For the veterans among your Hilliard ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hilliard military records

You've only scratched the surface of Hilliard family history

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What is the average Hilliard lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Hilliard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Hilliard in 1941 was 47, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hilliard

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Hilliard 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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