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York Family History

York Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from the city of York in northern England. The surname is now widespread throughout England. Originally the city bore the Latin name Eburacum which is probably from a Brittonic name meaning ‘yew-tree place’. This was altered by folk etymology to Old English Eoforwīc (from the elements eofor ‘wild boar’ + wīc ‘specialized farmstead’). This name was taken over by Scandinavian settlers who altered it back to opacity in the form Jórvík or Jórk (English York which became finally settled as the placename in the 13th century). The surname has also been adopted by Jews as an Americanized form of various like-sounding Jewish surnames. In some cases also an American shortened and altered form of the East Slavic patronymic Yurkovich or its Croatian Slovak or Slovenian variants. Compare Yurk .

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


Similar surnames: Work, Turk, Look, Rock, Bork, Yurk, Dock, Nord, Corn, Mork

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Where is the York family from?

You can see how York families moved over time by selecting different census years. The York family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most York families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 111 York families living in Maine. This was about 18% of all the recorded York's in USA. Maine had the highest population of York families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the York surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your York ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named York. 17% of York men worked as a Farmer and 9% of York women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named York were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for York | 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
    17%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Waitress
    5%
  • Teacher
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What York family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 277,000 census records available for the last name York. Like a window into their day-to-day life, York census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for York

Passenger Lists

There are 22,000 immigration records available for the last name York. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 215,000 military records available for the last name York. For the veterans among your York ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average York lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, York life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for York in 1940 was 41, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for York

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