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Laird Family History

Laird Name Meaning

Scottish and northern Irish: status name for a landlord or landowner from northern Middle English laverd ‘lord’.

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


Similar surnames: Laine, Bird, Caird, Nair, Hair, Lain, Aird, Baird, Blair, Lind

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 Laird family from?

You can see how Laird families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Laird family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Laird families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 56 Laird families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 29% of all the recorded Laird's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Laird families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Laird 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 Laird ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Laird. 18% of Laird men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Laird women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Laird were Truck Driver and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Laird | 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
    15%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    8%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Stenographer
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Laird family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 135,000 census records available for the last name Laird. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Laird census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Laird

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Laird. 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 Laird immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 22,000 military records available for the last name Laird. For the veterans among your Laird ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Laird military records

You've only scratched the surface of Laird family history

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What is the average Laird lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Laird life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Laird in 1940 was 28, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Laird

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