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Crawford Family History

Crawford Surname Meaning

Scottish and English: habitational name from any of various places called Crawford primarily the one in Lanarkshire (Scotland) and possibly also from the one in Lancashire. Both are named in Old English with crāwe ‘crow’ + ford ‘ford’.

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


Similar surnames: Cranford, Trafford, Radford, Bradford, Crafford, Branford, Alford

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Crawford family from?

You can see how Crawford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Crawford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Crawford families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 312 Crawford families living in Ohio. This was about 15% of all the recorded Crawford's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Crawford families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Crawford surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Crawford ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Crawford. 16% of Crawford men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Crawford women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Crawford were Truck Driver and Cook. .

View Census Data for Crawford | 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
    16%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    8%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Cook
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Crawford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 957,000 census records available for the last name Crawford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Crawford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Crawford

Passenger Lists

There are 109,000 immigration records available for the last name Crawford. 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 Crawford immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 176,000 military records available for the last name Crawford. For the veterans among your Crawford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Crawford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Crawford family history

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What is the average Crawford lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Crawford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Crawford in 1940 was 34, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Crawford

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Crawford family tree

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