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Guilford Family History

Guilford Name Meaning

English: habitational name from Guildford in Surrey which is probably named with Old English gylde ‘golden’ (perhaps used here to denote a sandy hill) + ford ‘ford’.

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


Similar surnames: Milford, Wilford, Mulford, Galford, Fulford, Pulford, Gifford

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Guilford family from?

You can see how Guilford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Guilford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Guilford families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 39 Guilford families living in Lancashire. This was about 13% of all the recorded Guilford's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Guilford families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Guilford surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Guilford ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Guilford. 27% of Guilford men worked as a Farmer and 81% of Guilford women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Guilford were Railway Wagon Repairer and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Guilford | 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

  • Farmer
    27%
  • Dairy Farmer
    20%
  • Builders Labourer
    14%
  • Railway Wagon Repairer
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    81%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dutie
    3%
  • Housekeeper
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Guilford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 18,000 census records available for the last name Guilford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Guilford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Guilford

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Guilford. 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 Guilford immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Guilford. For the veterans among your Guilford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Guilford military records

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What is the average Guilford lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Guilford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1970, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Guilford in 1954 was 75, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Guilford

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