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Farnam Family History

Farnam Surname Meaning

English: variant of Farnham. This surname is very rare in Britain.

Iranian: from the Persian personal name Farnām which is interpreted as ‘majestic name’ or ‘magnificent name’ (from far ‘magnificence glory’ and nām ‘name’).

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


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Where is the Farnam family from?

You can see how Farnam families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Farnam family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Farnam families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 6 Farnam families living in Warwickshire. This was about 29% of all the recorded Farnam's in United Kingdom. Warwickshire had the highest population of Farnam families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Farnam 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 Farnam ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Farnam. 25% of Farnam men worked as a Farmer and 14% of Farnam women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Farnam were Machinist and Clerk.

View Census Data for Farnam | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    25%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Machinist
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    14%
  • Teacher
    10%
  • Stenographer
    10%
  • Clerk
    7%

What Farnam family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 7,000 census records available for the last name Farnam. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Farnam census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Farnam

Passenger Lists

There are 884 immigration records available for the last name Farnam. 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 Farnam immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Farnam. For the veterans among your Farnam ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Farnam military records

You've only scratched the surface of Farnam family history

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What is the average Farnam lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Farnam life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Farnam in 1958 was 75, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Farnam

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Farnam 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.

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