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Boness Family History

Boness Surname Meaning

South German: derisive nickname meaning ‘bean-eater’ (from a compound of Middle High German bone ‘bean’ + ezzen ‘to eat’) used to denote a bean-grower or a poor person whose diet consisted mainly of beans.

English (Bedfordshire): variant of Bownes. Americanized form of Norwegian Bones 3 and perhaps also of Bønes (see Bones).

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


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Where is the Boness family from?

You can see how Boness families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Boness family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1851 and 1920. The most Boness families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 66 Boness families living in Bedfordshire. This was about 48% of all the recorded Boness's in United Kingdom. Bedfordshire had the highest population of Boness families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Boness 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 Boness 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 Boness. 27% of Boness men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Boness women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Boness were Caretaker Of Office Buildings and Housewife.

View Census Data for Boness | 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
    27%
  • Market Gardener
    20%
  • Market Gardeners Labourer
    14%
  • Caretaker Of Office Buildings
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Domestic Servant
    6%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%

What Boness family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Boness

Passenger Lists

There are 634 immigration records available for the last name Boness. 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 Boness immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 500 military records available for the last name Boness. For the veterans among your Boness ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Boness military records

You've only scratched the surface of Boness family history

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What is the average Boness lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Boness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Boness in 1962 was 72, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Boness

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Boness 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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