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Trench Family History

Trench Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: from Middle English trench ‘path cut through woods; cutting or ditch’ (Old French trenche a derivative of trenchier ‘to cut hack slice’). The surname may be topographic for someone who lived by a path or ditch or habitational from a place so named such as Trench Lane in Huddington (Worcestershire), Trench in Ellesmere (Shropshire), or The Trench in Hildenborough (Kent).

It may perhaps also be a nickname for someone who cut ditches. Irish (of French origin): habitational name from La Tranche (Poitou).

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


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Where is the Trench family from?

You can see how Trench families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Trench family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Trench families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 75 Trench families living in London. This was about 21% of all the recorded Trench's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Trench families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Trench 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 Trench 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 Trench. 28% of Trench men worked as a General Labourer and 82% of Trench women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Trench were Unpaid Domestic Duties and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Trench | 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
    28%
  • Civil Servant
    19%
  • Fitter (heavy Worker)
    19%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Private Means
    8%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%

What Trench family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Trench. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Trench census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Trench

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Trench. For the veterans among your Trench ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Trench military records

You've only scratched the surface of Trench family history

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What is the average Trench lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Trench life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 1967. The average life expectancy for Trench in 1961 was 76, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Trench

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Trench 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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