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Denton Family History

Denton Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of numerous places so called. The vast majority including those in Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Dumfries, Durham, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northumberland, Oxfordshire, Sussex, and Yorkshire are named from Old English denu ‘valley’ (see Dean) + tūn ‘enclosure, settlement’.

An isolated example in Northamptonshire appears in the Domesday Book as Dodintone meaning ‘enclosure settlement associated with Dodda or Dudda.’

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


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Where is the Denton family from?

You can see how Denton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Denton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Denton families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 106 Denton families living in Ontario. This was about 39% of all the recorded Denton's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Denton families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Denton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Denton ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Operator were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Denton. 46% of Denton men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Denton women worked as an Operator. Some less common occupations for Americans named Denton were Salesman and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Denton | 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
    46%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Fisher
    8%
  • Salesman
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Operator
    20%
  • Clerk
    20%
  • Farmer
    20%
  • Stenographer
    20%

What Denton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 239,000 census records available for the last name Denton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Denton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Denton

Passenger Lists

There are 15,000 immigration records available for the last name Denton. 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 Denton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 32,000 military records available for the last name Denton. For the veterans among your Denton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Denton military records

You've only scratched the surface of Denton family history

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What is the average Denton lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Denton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Denton in 1944 was 44, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Denton

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Denton ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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