Edward Family History

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Edward Name Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal name Edward, Old English Eadward, composed of the elements ead ‘prosperity’, ‘fortune’ + w(e)ard ‘guard’. The English personal name also became popular on the Continent as a result of the fame of the two canonized kings of England, Edward the Martyr (962–79) and Edward the Confessor (1004–66). They certainly contributed largely to its great popularity in England.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Seward, Edgar, Ewald, Howard, Ewart, Coward, Ward, Edman, Aylward

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Edward Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Edward name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Edward. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    39%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    23%

  • Germanic Europe

    6%

  • Cameroon, Congo, & Southern Bantu Peoples

    5%

  • Benin/Togo

    4%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Edward Family Origin

Where is the Edward family from?

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You can see how Edward families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Edward family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Edward families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,928 Edward families living in London. This was about 20% of all the recorded Edward's in the UK. London had the highest population of Edward families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Edward surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Edward

Edward Family Occupations

What did your Edward ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, the most common Edward occupation in the UK was Farmer. 4% of Edward's were Farmers. Farmer, Coal Miner and Labourer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Edward. A less common occupation for the Edward family was Agricultural Labourer.

View Census data for Edward | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    4%

  • Coal Miner

    3%

  • Labourer

    3%

  • Agricultural Labourer

    2%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Edward ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Edward Historical Records

What Edward family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 219,000 census records available for the last name Edward. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Edward census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1891 UK census records for Edward

Passenger List

There are 26,000 immigration records available for the last name Edward. 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 Edward immigration records

Draft Card

There are 46,000 military records available for the last name Edward. For the veterans among your Edward ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Edward military records

You've only scratched the surface of Edward family history.

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Edward Life Expectancy

What is the average Edward lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Edward life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Edward in 1947 was 33, and 61 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Edward

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Edward 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.

Famous Edward Family Ancestors

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