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Seward Family History

Seward Name Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal name Seward (Old English Sǣweard from ‘sea’ + weard ‘guard’). English: from the Middle English personal name Siward Seward (Old English Sigeweard from sige ‘victory’ + weard ‘guard’ or the equivalent Old Norse Sigwarth). Irish (Cork): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Suaird Ó Suairt usually Anglicized as Sword . The surname Seward (in any of the three possible senses) is also established among African Americans.

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


Similar surnames: Sword, Edward, Ward, Ewart, Ewald, Segar, Savard, Sward, Sheard

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Seward family from?

You can see how Seward families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Seward family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Seward families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 79 Seward families living in Ontario. This was about 47% of all the recorded Seward's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Seward families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Seward surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Seward ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Seward. 49% of Seward men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Seward women worked as a Farmer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Seward were Laborer and Domestic. .

View Census Data for Seward | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    49%
  • Cultivateur
    11%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    50%
  • Domestic
    50%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Seward family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 90,000 census records available for the last name Seward. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Seward census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Seward

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Seward. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Seward immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 14,000 military records available for the last name Seward. For the veterans among your Seward ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Seward military records

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What is the average Seward lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Seward life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Seward in 1945 was 32, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Seward

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