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Chard Family History

Chard Name Meaning

English (southwestern): habitational name from Chard or South Chard in Somerset recorded in Domesday Book as Cerdren possibly from Old English ceart ‘rough heathland’ + ærn ‘building dwelling’. In some instances the surname may have arisen simply as a topographic name from ceart. In some cases possibly also French: from a shortened form of the personal name Richardon a pet form of Richard or a habitational name from Chard in Creuse.

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


Similar surnames: Hard, Clare, Card, Chad, Cardo, Chadd, Coard, Gard, Char, Hardt

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Where is the Chard family from?

You can see how Chard families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chard family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Chard families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 143 Chard families living in Ontario. This was about 64% of all the recorded Chard's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Chard families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chard surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Chard ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Bookkeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Chard. 48% of Chard men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Chard women worked as a Bookkeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Chard were Laborer and Servant. .

View Census Data for Chard | 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
    48%
  • Labourer
    25%
  • Fireman
    9%
  • Laborer
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Bookkeeper
    34%
  • Laborer
    34%
  • Servant
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Chard family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 50,000 census records available for the last name Chard. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chard census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Chard

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Chard. For the veterans among your Chard ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Chard military records

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What is the average Chard lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Chard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1963, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Chard in 1958 was 52, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chard

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Chard family tree

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