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Milford Family History

Milford Name Meaning

English (Devon): habitational name from any of numerous places, for example in Derbyshire, Devon, Hampshire, Norfolk, Staffordshire, and Surrey, named in Old English as ‘mill ford’, from mylen ‘mill’ (see Mill) + ford ‘ford’. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Maolfhoghmhair ‘descendant of Maolgfhoghmhair’, a personal name meaning ‘chief of harvest’. The Gaelic name was first Anglicized as Mullover, which was later assimilated to Milford.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Mulford, Wilford, Elford, Alford, Winford, Galford, Walford, Fulford

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 Milford family from?

You can see how Milford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Milford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Milford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 8 Milford families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 24% of all the recorded Milford's in USA. Pennsylvania and 1 other state had the highest population of Milford families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Milford 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 Milford ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Milford. 21% of Milford men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Milford women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Milford were Truck Driver and Cook. .

View Census Data for Milford | 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
    20%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    9%
  • Clerk
    8%
  • Teacher
    8%
  • Cook
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Milford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 32,000 census records available for the last name Milford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Milford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Milford

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Milford. 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 Milford immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Milford. For the veterans among your Milford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Milford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Milford family history

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What is the average Milford lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Milford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Milford in 1941 was 62, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Milford

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