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Bradford Family History

Bradford Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of the many places large and small called Bradford; in particular the city in Yorkshire which originally rose to prosperity as a wool town. There are others in Derbyshire Devon Dorset Greater Manchester Norfolk Somerset Cheshire Wiltshire and elsewhere. They are all named with Old English brād ‘broad’ + ford ‘ford’.

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


Similar surnames: Radford, Branford, Trafford, Crawford, Blandford, Cranford, Bamford

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Where is the Bradford family from?

You can see how Bradford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bradford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bradford families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 108 Bradford families living in Massachusetts. This was about 12% of all the recorded Bradford's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Bradford families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bradford surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Bradford ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Bradford. 18% of Bradford men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Bradford women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bradford were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Bradford | 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 1940

  • Farmer
    18%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Bradford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 343,000 census records available for the last name Bradford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bradford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Bradford

Passenger Lists

There are 25,000 immigration records available for the last name Bradford. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bradford immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 60,000 military records available for the last name Bradford. For the veterans among your Bradford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Bradford family history

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What is the average Bradford lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Bradford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Bradford in 1940 was 33, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bradford

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bradford 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.

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