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Belgrave Family History

Belgrave Name Meaning

English: habitational name from a place in Leicestershire recorded in Domesday Book as Merdegrave. The original name derived from Old English mearth ‘marten’ + grāf ‘grove’ but after the Norman Conquest the first element was taken to be Old French merde ‘dung filth’ and changed to Old French beu bel ‘fair lovely’ to remove the unpleasant association. A mid 12th-century writer refers to the place as ‘Merthegrave nunc (now) Belegrava’.

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


Similar surnames: Seagrave, Beaver, Grave, Colgrove, Bellerive, Blake, Hargrave

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Belgrave family from?

You can see how Belgrave families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Belgrave family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Belgrave families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 8 Belgrave families living in Ontario. This was about 80% of all the recorded Belgrave's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Belgrave families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Belgrave 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 Belgrave ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Porter and Domestic were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Belgrave. 34% of Belgrave men worked as a Porter and 46% of Belgrave women worked as a Domestic. Some less common occupations for Americans named Belgrave were Laborer and Maid. .

View Census Data for Belgrave | 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

  • Porter
    34%
  • Lineman
    17%
  • Carpenter
    17%
  • Laborer
    17%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Domestic
    46%
  • Waitress
    19%
  • New Worker
    19%
  • Maid
    19%
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What Belgrave family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Belgrave. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Belgrave census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Belgrave

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Belgrave. 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 Belgrave immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 379 military records available for the last name Belgrave. For the veterans among your Belgrave ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Belgrave lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Belgrave life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1966, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Belgrave in 1958 was 53, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Belgrave

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