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Playford Family History

Playford Surname Meaning

English (East Anglia): habitational name from a place in Suffolk so called from Old English plega ‘sport play; place for games or where animals play’.

The name combines elements that reflect the area’s cultural and geographical characteristics.

Plega refers to the concept of sport or play, indicating a lively or playful environment.

Additionally, ford signifies a crossing point over a river or stream, emphasizing the importance of water routes in the region.

Overall, this name highlights the historical significance of both recreational activities and landscape in East Anglia.

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


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Where is the Playford family from?

You can see how Playford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Playford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Playford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 241 Playford families living in Norfolk. This was about 31% of all the recorded Playford's in United Kingdom. Norfolk had the highest population of Playford families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Playford 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 Playford 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 Playford. 13% of Playford men worked as a General Labourer and 74% of Playford women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Playford were Gardener and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Playford | 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
    13%
  • Builders Labourer
    8%
  • Bricklayer
    7%
  • Gardener
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Playford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Playford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Playford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Playford

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Playford. 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 Playford immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Playford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Playford family history

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What is the average Playford lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Playford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1983. The average life expectancy for Playford in 1950 was 37, and 60 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Playford

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Playford 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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