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Bodnar Family History

Bodnar Surname Meaning

Ukrainian and Rusyn: occupational name for a cooper from an agent noun based on bodnya ‘tub’. In Slovakia the Rusyn name is spelled Bodnár (compare 2 below).

Hungarian and Slovak (Bodnár): occupational name from Hungarian bodnár ‘cooper’ a Slavic loanword (see 1 above) of ultimately Old German origin.

Compare Bednar. Polish: borrowing from German Bodner 2 meaning ‘cottager’ or from Ukrainian and Rusyn (see 1 above) meaning ‘cooper’ (compare Bednarz).

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


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Where is the Bodnar family from?

You can see how Bodnar families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bodnar family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Bodnar families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 3 Bodnar families living in Durham. This was about 38% of all the recorded Bodnar's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Bodnar families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bodnar 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 Bodnar ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Bodnar. 31% of Bodnar men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Bodnar women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bodnar were New Worker and Saleslady.

View Census Data for Bodnar | 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
    31%
  • Miner
    7%
  • Machinist
    6%
  • New Worker
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    8%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Maid
    6%
  • Saleslady
    6%

What Bodnar family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 14,000 census records available for the last name Bodnar. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bodnar census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bodnar

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Bodnar. 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 Bodnar immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Bodnar. For the veterans among your Bodnar ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bodnar military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bodnar family history

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What is the average Bodnar lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Bodnar life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Bodnar in 1941 was 47, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bodnar

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bodnar 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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