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Houghton Family History

Houghton Name Meaning

English:: habitational name from any of numerous places called Houghton or Hoghton. Most of the placenames derive from Old English hōh ‘heel spur of land’ + tūn ‘farmstead estate’ though some have different etymologies; for example Little Houghton in Eccles (Lancashire) which derives from Old English halh ‘nook corner of land’ + tūn and Houghton in Bigbury (Devon) which may derive from an Old English personal name Huhha + Old English tūn. variant of Haughton .

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


Similar surnames: Haughton, Roughton, Boughton, Oughton, Moulton, Doughton, Heighton

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Houghton family from?

You can see how Houghton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Houghton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Houghton families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 220 Houghton families living in Ontario. This was about 57% of all the recorded Houghton's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Houghton families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Houghton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Houghton ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Houghton. 29% of Houghton men worked as a Farmer and 17% of Houghton women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Houghton were Carpenter and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Houghton | 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
    29%
  • Labourer
    14%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Carpenter
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    17%
  • Income
    17%
  • Servant
    10%
  • Teacher
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Houghton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 252,000 census records available for the last name Houghton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Houghton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Houghton

Passenger Lists

There are 32,000 immigration records available for the last name Houghton. 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 Houghton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 26,000 military records available for the last name Houghton. For the veterans among your Houghton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Houghton military records

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What is the average Houghton lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Houghton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Houghton in 1944 was 36, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Houghton

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