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Parnaby Family History

Parnaby Surname Meaning

Perhaps as suggested in Redmonds Dictionary of Yorks Surnames, an altered form of Parlby (Old French Parlebien ‘speak well’). Interchange of /n/ and /l/ is quite common in place-names and surnames. In this instance, it may have been influenced by the co-occurrence of Farnaby in the same counties (NR Yorks, Cambs, Kent), but there is no evidence that either name was a variant of the other.

Doubtfully perhaps a variant of Barnaby with the initial consonant unvoiced. With the early bearers given below, compare Elizabeth Barneby 1672 in IGI (Cherry Hinton, Cambs) and John Barnaby 1828 in IGI (Finghall, NR Yorks).

However, these are so much later than the earliest records of Parnaby in those parishes (1543, 1670) that it is more likely that Barnaby is a local pronunciation of Parnaby by confusion of the two names.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Parnaby family from?

You can see how Parnaby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Parnaby family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Parnaby families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 220 Parnaby families living in Yorkshire. This was about 51% of all the recorded Parnaby's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Parnaby families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Parnaby 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 Parnaby ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Parnaby. 42% of Parnaby men worked as a General Labourer and 90% of Parnaby women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Parnaby were Bricklayer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Parnaby | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    42%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Wood Machinist
    12%
  • Bricklayer
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    90%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Parnaby family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Parnaby

Passenger Lists

There are 517 immigration records available for the last name Parnaby. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 482 military records available for the last name Parnaby. For the veterans among your Parnaby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Parnaby lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2001, in the United States, Parnaby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1976. The average life expectancy for Parnaby in 1953 was 33, and 79 in 2001.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Parnaby

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Parnaby 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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