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Former Family History

Former Surname Meaning

from Middle English former ‘maker fashioner’ (compare ‘Brycke former or maker’ 1552 in OED).

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


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Former family from?

You can see how Former families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Former family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Former families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 20 Former families living in Quebec. This was about 53% of all the recorded Former's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Former families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Former 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 Former ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Former. 31% of Former men worked as a Farmer and 21% of Former women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Former were Clerk and Maid.

View Census Data for Former | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    31%
  • Laborer
    31%
  • Truck Driver
    8%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    21%
  • Housewife
    18%
  • Clerk
    14%
  • Maid
    14%

What Former family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search Canadian census records for Former

Passenger Lists

There are 813 immigration records available for the last name Former. 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 Former immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 59,000 military records available for the last name Former. For the veterans among your Former ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Former military records

You've only scratched the surface of Former family history

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What is the average Former lifespan?

Between 1977 and 2000, in the United States, Former life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1990, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Former in 1977 was 80, and 53 in 2000.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Former

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Former 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Former family tree

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