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Radford Family History

Radford Name Meaning

English and Scottish: habitational name from any of several places called Radford (Devon Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire Somerset Warwickshire Worcestershire) Raddiford (Devon) Ratford (Sussex Wiltshire) Redford (Angus Fife Midlothian Dorset Sussex) Retford (Nottinghamshire) Rodford (Gloucestershire) or Rudford (Gloucestershire). Most of these placenames appear to derive from Old English rēad ‘red’ + ford ‘ford’ though some are likely to derive from Old English hrēod ‘reed’ + ford (e.g. Rodford and Rudford (Gloucestershire)) and the Oxfordshire placename may derive from Old English rād ‘riding’ + ford probably meaning ‘ford which can be crossed on horseback’. This English name has been established in Ireland (Wexford) since the 16th century.

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


Similar surnames: Bradford, Trafford, Harford, Walford, Sandford, Crawford, Halford

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Where is the Radford family from?

You can see how Radford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Radford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Radford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 122 Radford families living in Ontario. This was about 39% of all the recorded Radford's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Radford families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Radford 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 Radford ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Radford. 39% of Radford men worked as a Farmer and 25% of Radford women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Radford were Labourer and Farmer. .

View Census Data for Radford | 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
    39%
  • Carpenter
    7%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    25%
  • Domestic
    25%
  • Photographer
    17%
  • Farmer
    17%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Radford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 160,000 census records available for the last name Radford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Radford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Radford

Passenger Lists

There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Radford. 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 18,000 military records available for the last name Radford. For the veterans among your Radford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Radford lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Radford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Radford in 1940 was 32, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Radford

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