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Thetford Family History

Thetford Name Meaning

English (Norfolk): habitational name from Thetford in Norfolk. The placename means ‘public ford’ from Old English thēod ‘nation people’ also with the sense ‘common public’ + ford ‘ford’.

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


Similar surnames: Whitford, Twyford, Belford, Bedford, Elford, Montford, Watford

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Thetford family from?

You can see how Thetford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thetford family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Thetford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 5 Thetford families living in Ontario. This was 100% of all the recorded Thetford's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Thetford families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thetford surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Thetford ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Bookkeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Thetford. 43% of Thetford men worked as a Farmer and 31% of Thetford women worked as a Bookkeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Thetford were Laborer and Seamstress. .

View Census Data for Thetford | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    43%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Carpenter
    6%
  • Laborer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Bookkeeper
    31%
  • Cook
    24%
  • Waitress
    16%
  • Seamstress
    16%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Thetford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Thetford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thetford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Thetford

Passenger Lists

There are 521 immigration records available for the last name Thetford. 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 Thetford immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Thetford. For the veterans among your Thetford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Thetford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Thetford family history

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What is the average Thetford lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Thetford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Thetford in 1957 was 50, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Thetford

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