York Family History

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York Name Meaning

English: habitational name from the city of York in northern England, or perhaps in some cases a regional name from the county of Yorkshire. The surname is now widespread throughout England. Originally, the city bore the British name Eburacum, which probably meant ‘yew-tree place’. This was altered by folk etymology into Old English Eoforwic (from the elements eofor ‘wild boar’ + wic ‘outlying settlement’). This name was taken over by Scandinavian settlers in the area, who altered it back to opacity in the form Iorvík and eventually Iork, in which form it finally settled by the 13th century. The surname has also been adopted by Jews as an Americanized form of various like-sounding Jewish surnames.

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


Similar surnames: Work, Turk, Look, Rock, Bork, Yurk, Dock, Nord, Corn, Mork

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York Family Origin

Where is the York family from?

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You can see how York families moved over time by selecting different census years. The York family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most York families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 749 York families living in Northamptonshire. This was about 19% of all the recorded York's in the UK. Northamptonshire had the highest population of York families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the York surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for York

York Family Occupations

What did your York ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, a less common occupation for the York family was Farmer. Agricultural Labourer, Coal Miner and Labourer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by York. The most common York occupation in the UK was Agricultural Labourer. 7% of York's were Agricultural Labourers.

View Census data for York | Data not to scale

  • Agricultural Labourer

    7%

  • Coal Miner

    4%

  • Labourer

    4%

  • Farmer

    3%

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

York Historical Records

What York family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 277,000 census records available for the last name York. Like a window into their day-to-day life, York 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 York

Passenger List

There are 22,000 immigration records available for the last name York. 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 York immigration records

Draft Card

There are 215,000 military records available for the last name York. For the veterans among your York ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all York military records

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

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York Life Expectancy

What is the average York lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, York life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for York in 1940 was 41, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for York

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your York 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.

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