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Abner Family History

Abner Surname Meaning

English: from a Biblical personal name, meaning in Hebrew ‘God is (my) light’, which was popular among the Puritans, especially among early settlers in New England, but also in the southern states.

In the First and Second Books of Samuel, Abner is Saul’s uncle and the commander of his army, who is eventually cut down by Joab (II Samuel 3:12–39).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Abner family from?

You can see how Abner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Abner family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Abner families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 8 Abner families living in Dorset. This was about 38% of all the recorded Abner's in United Kingdom. Dorset had the highest population of Abner families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Abner 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 Abner ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Farm Laborer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Abner. 30% of Abner men worked as a Laborer and 12% of Abner women worked as a Farm Laborer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Abner were Labor and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Abner | 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

  • Laborer
    30%
  • Farmer
    21%
  • Farm Laborer
    11%
  • Labor
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Farm Laborer
    12%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Maid
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    8%

What Abner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Abner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Abner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Abner

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Abner. 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 Abner immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Abner military records

You've only scratched the surface of Abner family history

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What is the average Abner lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Abner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Abner in 1942 was 30, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Abner

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Abner 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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