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Portwood Family History

Portwood Surname Meaning

English (Lincolnshire): habitational name from either Portwood in Lancashire or Portwood Farm in Norfolk.

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


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Where is the Portwood family from?

You can see how Portwood families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Portwood family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Portwood families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 33 Portwood families living in London. This was about 31% of all the recorded Portwood's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Portwood families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Portwood 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 Portwood ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Portwood. 92% of Portwood women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Portwood | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    92%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    9%

What Portwood family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Portwood. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Portwood census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Portwood

Passenger Lists

There are 393 immigration records available for the last name Portwood. 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 Portwood immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Portwood military records

You've only scratched the surface of Portwood family history

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What is the average Portwood lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Portwood life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Portwood in 1941 was 23, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Portwood

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Portwood 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Portwood family tree

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