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Ironside Family History

Ironside Surname Meaning

Scottish: from Middle English or Older Scots irenside (Old English īren ‘iron’ + sīde ‘side’) a nickname for an iron-clad warrior or a man of great bravery.

The best-known bearer of this nickname (not as a surname) was Edmund Ironside who was briefly king of England in 1016.

Habitational name from a place so named in the parish of New Deer in Aberdeenshire.

This was probably named with the Old English elements earn ‘eagle’ + sīde ‘side’ (of a hill).

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


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Where is the Ironside family from?

You can see how Ironside families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ironside family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Ironside families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 97 Ironside families living in London. This was about 35% of all the recorded Ironside's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Ironside families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ironside surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Ironside 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 Ironside. 50% of Ironside men worked as a General Labourer and 79% of Ironside women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ironside were Police Constable and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Ironside | 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
    50%
  • Hotel Manager
    25%
  • Police Constable
    25%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Shorthand Typist
    4%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%

What Ironside family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 20,000 census records available for the last name Ironside. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ironside census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ironside

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Ironside. 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 Ironside immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Ironside. For the veterans among your Ironside ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ironside military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ironside family history

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What is the average Ironside lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Ironside life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1972, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Ironside in 1948 was 61, and 76 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ironside 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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