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Safford Family History

Safford Surname Meaning

English: possibly a habitational name from Seaford (Sussex) from Old English sǣ ‘sea’ + ford ‘ford’. Until the 16th century the Ouse river flowed into the sea at this point.

Habitational name from Salford (Lancashire), Salford (Bedfordshire), or Salfords in Horley (Surrey) from Old English salh ‘willow, sallow’ + ford ‘ford, river crossing’.

Habitational name from Salford (Oxfordshire), Abbots Salford and Salford Priors (Warwickshire), or Saltford (Somerset) from Old English salt ‘salt’ + ford ‘ford, river crossing’.

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


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Where is the Safford family from?

You can see how Safford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Safford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Safford families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 37 Safford families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Safford's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Safford families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Safford 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 Safford ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Safford. 87% of Safford women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Safford | 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
    87%
  • Thermometer Engraver
    14%

What Safford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 29,000 census records available for the last name Safford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Safford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Safford

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Safford. For the veterans among your Safford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Safford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Safford family history

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What is the average Safford lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Safford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Safford in 1943 was 36, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Safford

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Safford 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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