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Dunford Family History

Dunford Name Meaning

English:: habitational name from Dunford Bridge in Thurlstone (Yorkshire) so called from the river Don (a British name possibly meaning ‘river’) + Old English ford ‘ford’ or from Dunford House in Methley (Yorkshire) named in Old English as ‘Dunn's ford’ (see Dunn ). variant of Durnford a habitational name from Durnford in Wiltshire arising from Old English dierne + ford ‘hidden ford’. Alternatively the name may perhaps arise from Dunford alias Durnford in Addlestone (Surrey).

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


Similar surnames: Dunsford, Munford, Lunsford, Winford, Fulford, Binford, Duford

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Dunford family from?

You can see how Dunford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dunford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dunford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 127 Dunford families living in Ontario. This was about 78% of all the recorded Dunford's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Dunford families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dunford 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 Dunford ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Dunford. 66% of Dunford men worked as a Farmer and 75% of Dunford women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dunford were Mechanic and Wife. .

View Census Data for Dunford | 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
    66%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Mechanic
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    75%
  • Wife
    25%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Dunford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 52,000 census records available for the last name Dunford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dunford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Dunford

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Dunford. 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 Dunford immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Dunford. For the veterans among your Dunford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dunford military records

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What is the average Dunford lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Dunford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Dunford in 1949 was 64, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dunford

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