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Edward Family History

Edward Name Meaning

English and Welsh: from the Middle English personal name Edward (Old English Ēadweard from ēad ‘prosperity fortune’ + w(e)ard ‘guard ward’). The popularity of the personal name was largely due to its being the name of the sainted Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor and of three kings in the 13th–14th centuries.

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


Similar surnames: Seward, Edgar, Ewald, Howard, Ewart, Coward, Ward, Edman, Aylward

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Where is the Edward family from?

You can see how Edward families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Edward family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Edward families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 483 Edward families living in Ontario. This was about 35% of all the recorded Edward's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Edward families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Edward surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Edward ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Chasse were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Edward. 28% of Edward men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Edward women worked as a Chasse. Some less common occupations for Americans named Edward were Clerk and Domestic. .

View Census Data for Edward | 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
    28%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Chasse
    12%
  • Clerk
    9%
  • Housework
    9%
  • Domestic
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Edward family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 219,000 census records available for the last name Edward. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Edward census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Edward

Passenger Lists

There are 26,000 immigration records available for the last name Edward. 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 Edward immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 46,000 military records available for the last name Edward. For the veterans among your Edward ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Edward military records

You've only scratched the surface of Edward family history

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What is the average Edward lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Edward life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Edward in 1947 was 33, and 61 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Edward

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