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Boyd Family History

Boyd Name Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from the island of Bute in the Firth of Clyde from Bòid (genitive case of Bòd the Gaelic name of the island of Bute) or Bòideach denoting a person from Bute. Alternatively the name may denote descendants of a Gilla filius Boed who appears in reference to Glasgow Cathedral in the early 12th century perhaps from the Gaelic personal name Boite of uncertain origin. Scottish and Irish: from the Gaelic epithet buidhe ‘yellow(-haired)’. Compare Bowie . Manx: from Mac Gille Buidhe ‘son of the yellow-haired lad’ (compare 2 above).

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


Similar surnames: Bold, Hoy, Boye, Boak, Bond, Dodd, Bay, Hoad, Bird, Noya

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Boyd family from?

You can see how Boyd families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Boyd family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Boyd families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 1,674 Boyd families living in Ontario. This was about 46% of all the recorded Boyd's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Boyd families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Boyd 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 Boyd ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Boyd. 34% of Boyd men worked as a Farmer and 16% of Boyd women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Boyd were Clerk and Clerk. .

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*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
    34%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    16%
  • Housekeeper
    14%
  • Student
    7%
  • Clerk
    7%
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What Boyd family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 836,000 census records available for the last name Boyd. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Boyd census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Boyd

Passenger Lists

There are 103,000 immigration records available for the last name Boyd. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 156,000 military records available for the last name Boyd. For the veterans among your Boyd ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Boyd lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Boyd life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Boyd in 1940 was 33, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Boyd

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