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Origins of the Edwards surname

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What does the name Edwards mean?

The Edwards surname is the 14th most popular in Wales, and the 21st in England. It has a patronymic origin, referring to the 'son of Edward'. Many early Edwards nameholders in Wales claimed descent from Welsh royalty, but with such diffuse origins it is impossible to point to a single place of origin in England or Wales.

Alternative variations of the name Edwards

Edwards, Edward, Edwardes, Edwads, Edwood

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Where do most Edwardses live?

In 1921, most Edwardses lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Edwardses

How common is your surname?

24th most common surname in the UK

We have 864,000 records for the Edwards surname. The oldest one dates back to 1220.

Who were Edwardses most likely to marry?

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Edwardses.

What are the most common Edwards first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Edwards family members

Common jobs for Edwardses

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Edwardses in 1921
Dressmaker

3,954

Domestic Servant

2,464

General Servant Domestic

2,432

Laundress

2,065

House Servant

1,945

Common Male occupations for Edwardses in 1921
Coal Miner

4,866

Farmer

3,620

Agricultural Labourer

3,378

General Labourer

3,151

Carpenter

2,398

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We found over 560,000 family trees with the Edwards surname

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