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Birney Family History

Birney Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from a place in Morayshire recorded in the 13th century as Brennach probably from Gaelic braonach ‘damp place’. See also Birnie.

Irish and Scottish: from Mac Biorna see Burney.

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


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Where is the Birney family from?

You can see how Birney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Birney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Birney families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 30 Birney families living in Cumberland. This was about 32% of all the recorded Birney's in United Kingdom. Cumberland had the highest population of Birney families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Birney surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Birney ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Birney. 83% of Birney women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Birney | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    83%
  • Incapacitated
    6%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    6%
  • Private Means
    6%

What Birney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Birney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Birney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Birney

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Birney. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Birney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Birney. For the veterans among your Birney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Birney military records

You've only scratched the surface of Birney family history

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What is the average Birney lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Birney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1964. The average life expectancy for Birney in 1958 was 60, and 65 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Birney

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Birney ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Birney family tree

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