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Iron Family History

Iron Surname Meaning

Native American: translation into English (and shortening) of a personal name based on a word such as Lakota and Dakota Sioux maza meaning ‘metal’. Among the Sioux many of their traditional personal names with this element were adopted as surnames (translated into English) e.g. Iron Cloud (see Ironcloud) and Iron Hawk (see Ironhawk).

English: nickname perhaps from Middle English iron the name of a bird possibly a variant of Middle English ern ‘eagle’ (Old English earn) or of Middle English heroun ‘heron’ (Old French heirun).

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


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Where is the Iron family from?

You can see how Iron families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Iron family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Iron families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 39 Iron families living in Essex. This was about 22% of all the recorded Iron's in United Kingdom. Essex had the highest population of Iron families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Iron 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 Iron 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 Iron. 34% of Iron men worked as a Builders Labourer and 77% of Iron women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Iron were General Labourer Heavy Worker and Independent.

View Census Data for Iron | 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
    34%
  • General Labourer
    34%
  • General Labourer Heavy Worker
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    10%
  • Milliner
    5%
  • Independent
    5%

What Iron family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 22,000 census records available for the last name Iron. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Iron census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Iron

Passenger Lists

There are 735 immigration records available for the last name Iron. 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 Iron immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 881 military records available for the last name Iron. For the veterans among your Iron ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Iron military records

You've only scratched the surface of Iron family history

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What is the average Iron lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Iron life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1994, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Iron in 1962 was 69, and 56 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Iron

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Iron 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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