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Dryden Family History

Dryden Name Meaning

English (Northumberland and Durham) and Scottish: habitational name from either from Dryden in Roxburghshire or Dryden near Roslin in Midlothian perhaps named from Old English dr̄ge ‘dry’ + denu ‘valley’. The poet John Dryden (1631–1700) was born in Northamptonshire after his ancestors had migrated there from Cumbria in the 16th century.

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


Similar surnames: Bryden, Ryden, Hayden, Gayden, Hyden, Dowden, Arden, Dryer, Roden

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Where is the Dryden family from?

You can see how Dryden families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dryden family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dryden families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 147 Dryden families living in Ontario. This was about 45% of all the recorded Dryden's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Dryden families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dryden surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Dryden ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Dryden. 35% of Dryden men worked as a Farmer and 35% of Dryden women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dryden were Labourer and Machinist. .

View Census Data for Dryden | 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
    35%
  • Machinist
    9%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    35%
  • Housekeeper
    18%
  • Student
    14%
  • Machinist
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Dryden family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 62,000 census records available for the last name Dryden. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dryden census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Dryden

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Dryden. 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 Dryden immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Dryden. For the veterans among your Dryden ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Dryden lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Dryden life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Dryden in 1949 was 51, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dryden

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