Ford Family History

Ford Surname Meaning

English: topographic name for someone who lived near a ford (Middle English Old English ford) or a habitational name from one of the many places called with this word such as Ford (Durham, Herefordshire, Northumberland, Shropshire, Sussex), Ford in Sefton (Lancashire), Ford in Crediton and Ford in Holcombe Rogus (both Devon), Ford in Litton and Ford in Wiveliscombe (both Somerset).

Irish: Anglicized form (quasi-translation) of various Gaelic names; for example, MacGiolla na Naomh ‘son of Gilla na Naomh’ (a personal name meaning ‘servant of the saints’), Mac Conshámha ‘son of Conshnámha’ (a personal name composed of the elements con ‘dog’ + snámh ‘to swim’), in all of which the final syllable was wrongly thought to be áth ‘ford’, and Ó Fuar(th)áin (see Foran).

Americanized form of French Faure ‘blacksmith’. Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames.

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

Similar surnames: Lord, Fort, Ord, Nord, Ward, Forde, Hoad, Bird, Elford, Fors

1M	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
234K	Military Records
210K	Immigration Records
1M	Census and Voter Lists
3M	Member Trees

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

Where is the Ford family from?

You can see how Ford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ford families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 4,641 Ford families living in London. This was about 16% of all the recorded Ford's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Ford families in 1891.

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

View Census Data for Ford

What did your Ford 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 Ford. 7% of Ford men worked as a General labourer and 64% of Ford women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ford were Incapacitated and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Ford

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

Builders labourer

Bricklayer

Incapacitated

Unpaid domestic duties

64%

Unpaid domestic

Housewife

Incapacitated

What Ford family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 1M census records available for the last name Ford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ford

Passenger List

There are 210K immigration records available for the last name Ford. 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 Ford immigration records

Military Records

There are 234K military records available for the last name Ford. For the veterans among your Ford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ford family history

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What is the average Ford lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Ford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Ford in 1940 was 40, and 73 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Ford family tree

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Ford Surname Meaning

Americanized form of French Faure ‘blacksmith’. Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames.

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

Where is the Ford family from?

What did your Ford 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

Builders labourer

Bricklayer

Incapacitated

Unpaid domestic duties

64%

Unpaid domestic

Housewife

Incapacitated

What Ford family records will you find?

What is the average Ford lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Ford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Ford in 1940 was 40, and 73 in 2004.

Ford Family History

Ford Surname Meaning

6 million record(s) for Ford

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

Where is the Ford family from?

What did your Ford ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Ford family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Ford family history

What is the average Ford lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Ford family tree

Search for another surname

Ford Surname Meaning

6 million record(s) for Ford

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

Where is the Ford family from?

What did your Ford ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Ford family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Ford family history

What is the average Ford lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Ford family tree

Search for another surname