History of your Surname
Get access to Telford family records.Start a free trial

Telford Family History

Telford Name Meaning

English (northern): not as its form would imply a habitational name even though there is a place in Shropshire so called but a variant of Telfer assimilated to the pattern of habitational names in -ford. The Shropshire place is a new town named after the celebrated Scottish civil engineer Thomas Telford (1757–1834).

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


Similar surnames: Elford, Belford, Welford, Tedford, Tilford, Walford, Galford, Talford

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Telford family from?

You can see how Telford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Telford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Telford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 6 Telford families living in South Carolina. This was about 30% of all the recorded Telford's in USA. South Carolina had the highest population of Telford families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Telford surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Telford ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Telford. 21% of Telford men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Telford women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Telford were Truck Driver and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Telford | 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
    21%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Truck Driver
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    11%
  • Bookkeeper
    10%
  • Teacher
    9%
  • Stenographer
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Telford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 60,000 census records available for the last name Telford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Telford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Telford

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Telford. 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 Telford immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Telford. For the veterans among your Telford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Telford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Telford family history

Discover More

What is the average Telford lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Telford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Telford in 1947 was 30, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Telford

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Telford family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Telford last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial