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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

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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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 1840 there were 331 Ford families living in New York. This was about 15% of all the recorded Ford's in USA. New York had the highest population of Ford families in 1840.
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.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Ford ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Ford. 17% of Ford men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Ford women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ford were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

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.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    17%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    9%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Housewife
    5%
  • Housekeeper
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Ford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million 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 US census records for Ford

Passenger Lists

There are 210,000 immigration records available for the last name Ford. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Ford immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 234,000 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.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ford

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