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Vanness Family History

Vanness Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Van Ess, Van Ness, Anness, Harness, Garness, Mannes, Sandness

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Vanness family from?

You can see how Vanness families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Vanness family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Vanness families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there was 1 Vanness family living in London. This was 100% of all the recorded Vanness's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Vanness families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Vanness 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 Vanness ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Vanness. 20% of Vanness men worked as a Farmer and 13% of Vanness women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Vanness were Carpenter and Saleslady.

View Census Data for Vanness | 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
    20%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Carpenter
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    13%
  • Maid
    10%
  • Teacher
    10%
  • Saleslady
    8%

What Vanness family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Vanness. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Vanness census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Vanness

Passenger Lists

There are 406 immigration records available for the last name Vanness. 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 Vanness immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Vanness. For the veterans among your Vanness ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Vanness military records

You've only scratched the surface of Vanness family history

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What is the average Vanness lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Vanness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Vanness in 1953 was 42, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Vanness

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Vanness 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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