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Forde Family History

Forde Name Meaning

English and Irish: variant of Ford 1 and This is a very common spelling in Ireland. Norwegian (Førde): habitational name from any of numerous farmsteads named Førde (there are eleven on the west coast) from Old Norse fyrthi dative of fjǫrthr ‘fjord’.

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


Similar surnames: Jorde, Ford, Force, Fosse, Horne, Forte, Forge, Cordes, Cordle, Borne

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Forde family from?

You can see how Forde families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Forde family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Forde families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 49 Forde families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Forde's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Forde families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Forde surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Forde ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Forde. 29% of Forde men worked as a Builders Labourer and 70% of Forde women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Forde were Gardener and Nurse. .

View Census Data for Forde | 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

  • Builders Labourer
    29%
  • General Labourer Heavy Worker
    11%
  • General Labourer
    11%
  • Gardener
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
  • None
    3%
  • Nurse
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Forde family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 35,000 census records available for the last name Forde. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Forde census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Forde

Passenger Lists

There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Forde. 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 Forde immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Forde military records

You've only scratched the surface of Forde family history

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What is the average Forde lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Forde life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Forde in 1947 was 49, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Forde

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