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Beresford Family History

Beresford Name Meaning

English: habitational name from a place in the parish of Alstonfield Staffordshire named Beresford from Old English beofor ‘beaver’ (or possibly from a byname from this word) + Old English ford ‘ford’. This name also became established in Ireland.

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


Similar surnames: Bareford, Bedford, Beckford, Hereford, Bassford, Elford, Belford

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Beresford family from?

You can see how Beresford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Beresford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Beresford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 507 Beresford families living in Lancashire. This was about 19% of all the recorded Beresford's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Beresford families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Beresford surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Beresford 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 Beresford. 10% of Beresford men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Beresford women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Beresford were Farmer and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Beresford | 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
    10%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Farmer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Beresford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 56,000 census records available for the last name Beresford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Beresford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Beresford

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Beresford. 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 Beresford immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Beresford military records

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What is the average Beresford lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Beresford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Beresford in 1945 was 47, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Beresford

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