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

Bird Family History

Bird Name Meaning

English and Scottish: nickname for a young or a small and slender person from Middle English brid bird burd (Old English bird brid perhaps also byrd) ‘bird young bird’ also ‘young man young woman child’. Irish: Anglicized form of a number of Irish names erroneously thought to contain the element éan ‘bird’ in particular Ó hÉinigh (see Heagney ) Ó hÉanna (see Heaney ) Ó hÉanacháin (see Heneghan ) and Mac an Déaghanaigh (see McEneaney ). Americanized form (translation into English) of various European surnames meaning ‘bird’ as for example German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Vogel French Loiseau Czech Ptáček (see Ptacek ) and Pták Polish Ptak . Native American: translation into English (and shortening) of a personal name based on a word such as Lakota Sioux ziŋtkala meaning ‘bird’. The importance of the birds particularly eagles (see Eagle ) and hawks (see Hawk ) to Native Americans is reflected in their traditional personal names many of which were adopted as surnames (translated into English) e.g. Black Bird (see Blackbird ) King Bird (see Kingbird ) and Red Bird (see Redbird ).

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


Similar surnames: Bard, Kidd, Bald, Budd, Baird, Biss, Burd, Lind, Birk, Wire

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 Bird family from?

You can see how Bird families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bird family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bird families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 96 Bird families living in New York. This was about 9% of all the recorded Bird's in USA. New York had the highest population of Bird families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bird surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Bird ancestors do for a living?

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

View Census Data for Bird | 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

  • Laborer
    17%
  • Farmer
    16%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    9%
  • Maid
    6%
  • Stenographer
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Bird family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 741,000 census records available for the last name Bird. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bird census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Bird

Passenger Lists

There are 58,000 immigration records available for the last name Bird. 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 Bird immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 80,000 military records available for the last name Bird. For the veterans among your Bird ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bird military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bird family history

Discover More

What is the average Bird lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Bird life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Bird in 1942 was 35, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bird

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Bird family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Bird last name

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