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Difford Family History

Difford Surname Meaning

From one or more of the places named from a ‘deep ford’ (Middle English dep + ford Old English dēop + ford), such as Defford (Worcs), Deptford (Kent), a lost Defford in Stanley (WR Yorks), and Dipper in Whitstone (Cornwall).

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Difford family from?

You can see how Difford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Difford family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Difford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 10 Difford families living in Manitoba. This was about 71% of all the recorded Difford's in Canada. Manitoba had the highest population of Difford families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Difford 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 Difford ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Cowman and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Difford. 50% of Difford men worked as a Cowman and 84% of Difford women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Difford were General Farm Labourer and Domestic Help.

View Census Data for Difford | 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.

England shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Cowman
    50%
  • General Labourer
    30%
  • General Farm Labourer
    20%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    84%
  • Domestic Duties
    9%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • Domestic Help
    5%

What Difford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Difford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Difford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Difford

Passenger Lists

There are 230 immigration records available for the last name Difford. 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 Difford immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 213 military records available for the last name Difford. For the veterans among your Difford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Difford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Difford family history

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What is the average Difford lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Difford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2001, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Difford in 1964 was 79, and 88 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Difford

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Difford 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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