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Oswold Family History

Oswold Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Oswald, Oswell, Wold, Osgood, Sword, Osmond, Ostwald, Skold, Osswald

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Oswold family from?

You can see how Oswold families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Oswold family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Oswold families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there was 1 Oswold family living in Surrey. This was 100% of all the recorded Oswold's in United Kingdom. Surrey had the highest population of Oswold families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Oswold 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 Oswold ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Oswold. 31% of Oswold men worked as a Farmer and 25% of Oswold women worked as a Farmer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Oswold were Salesman and Bookkeeper.

View Census Data for Oswold | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    31%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Clerk
    12%
  • Salesman
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    25%
  • Clerk
    25%
  • Housewife
    25%
  • Bookkeeper
    25%

What Oswold family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Oswold

Passenger Lists

There are 196 immigration records available for the last name Oswold. 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 Oswold immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 181 military records available for the last name Oswold. For the veterans among your Oswold ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Oswold military records

You've only scratched the surface of Oswold family history

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What is the average Oswold lifespan?

Between 1965 and 2004, in the United States, Oswold life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1986, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Oswold in 1965 was 76, and 39 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Oswold

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Oswold 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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