Clifford Family History

Clifford Surname Meaning

English and Irish: habitational name from any of various places called Clifford in Devon, Gloucestershire, and Yorkshire, and in particular Herefordshire. The placename is derived from Old English clif ‘slope’ + ford ‘ford’. Irish: adoption of the name in 1 above as Anglicization of several Irish names, especially Ó Clúmháin ‘descendant of Clúmhán’, which was the surname of an ecclesiastical family in Sligo and can be traced back to the 12th century.

The personal name meant ‘little hairy one’, a diminutive of Irish clúmach ‘hairy’, from clúmh ‘feathers, plumage, down; hair or fur’. Clifford was also adopted for Coleman and in Fermanagh for Crifferty, Clifferty, and Cliffordy, which are Anglicized forms of Mac Raibheartaigh (compare Rafferty).

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

Similar surnames: Alford, Lipford, Stafford, Crawford, Milford, Linford, Gifford, Elford, Whitford, Colford

414K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
41K	Military Records
45K	Immigration Records
292K	Census and Voter Lists
1M	Member Trees

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Where is the Clifford family from?

You can see how Clifford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Clifford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Clifford families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,293 Clifford families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Clifford's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Clifford families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Clifford surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Clifford

What did your Clifford 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 Clifford. 10% of Clifford men worked as a General labourer and 65% of Clifford women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Clifford were Retired and Private means.

View Census Data for Clifford

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.

General labourer

10%

Builders labourer

Bricklayer

Retired

Unpaid domestic duties

65%

Unpaid domestic

Housewife

Private means

What Clifford family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 292K census records available for the last name Clifford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Clifford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Clifford

Passenger List

There are 45K immigration records available for the last name Clifford. 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 Clifford immigration records

Military Records

There are 41K military records available for the last name Clifford. For the veterans among your Clifford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Clifford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Clifford family history

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What is the average Clifford lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Clifford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Clifford in 1940 was 43, and 73 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Clifford family tree

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Search for another surname

Clifford Surname Meaning

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

Where is the Clifford family from?

What did your Clifford ancestors do for a living?

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.

General labourer

10%

Builders labourer

Bricklayer

Retired

Unpaid domestic duties

65%

Unpaid domestic

Housewife

Private means

What Clifford family records will you find?

What is the average Clifford lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Clifford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Clifford in 1940 was 43, and 73 in 2004.

Clifford Family History

Clifford Surname Meaning

2 million record(s) for Clifford

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Clifford family from?

What did your Clifford ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Clifford family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Clifford family history

What is the average Clifford lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Clifford family tree

Search for another surname

Clifford Surname Meaning

2 million record(s) for Clifford

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Clifford family from?

What did your Clifford ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Clifford family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Clifford family history

What is the average Clifford lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Clifford family tree

Search for another surname