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Berna Family History

Berna Surname Meaning

Italian, Spanish, and Catalan: from a short form of the personal name Bernardo or from any other ancient Germanic personal name beginning with Bern-.

Italian (Lombardy): nickname from dialect berna ‘partridge’ or from a short form of Bernardo.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Berna family from?

You can see how Berna families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Berna family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Berna families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 9 Berna families living in Hertfordshire. This was about 29% of all the recorded Berna's in United Kingdom. Hertfordshire had the highest population of Berna families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Berna 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 Berna ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Berna. 28% of Berna men worked as a Laborer and 15% of Berna women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Berna were Truck Driver and Nurse.

View Census Data for Berna | 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
    28%
  • Farmer
    25%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Truck Driver
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    15%
  • Bookkeeper
    15%
  • Stenographer
    15%
  • Nurse
    15%

What Berna family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Berna. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Berna census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Berna

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 919 military records available for the last name Berna. For the veterans among your Berna ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Berna military records

You've only scratched the surface of Berna family history

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What is the average Berna lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Berna life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Berna in 1952 was 25, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Berna

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Berna 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 Berna family tree

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