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Packard Family History

Packard Name Meaning

English: from Middle English pa(c)k ‘pack’, ‘bundle’ + the Anglo-Norman French pejorative suffix -ard, hence a derogatory occupational name for a peddler. English: pejorative derivative of the Middle English personal name Pack. English: from a Norman personal name, Pachard, Baghard, composed of the Germanic elements pac, bag ‘fight’ + hard ‘hardy’, ‘brave’, ‘strong’. Probably an Americanized spelling of German Packert, Päckert, from Germanic personal names formed with a word meaning ‘battle’ or ‘to fight’; or a variant of Packer 2 (with excrescent -t).

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


Similar surnames: Pickard, Tankard, Packer, Ackert, Picker, Reckard, Savard, Lockard

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 Packard family from?

You can see how Packard families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Packard family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Packard families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 208 Packard families living in Massachusetts. This was about 44% of all the recorded Packard's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Packard families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Packard 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 Packard ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Packard. 12% of Packard men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Packard women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Packard were Truck Driver and Secretary. .

View Census Data for Packard | 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
    12%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Stenographer
    7%
  • Secretary
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Packard family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 73,000 census records available for the last name Packard. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Packard census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Packard

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Packard. 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 Packard immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Packard. For the veterans among your Packard ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Packard military records

You've only scratched the surface of Packard family history

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What is the average Packard lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Packard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Packard in 1945 was 54, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Packard

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