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Erling Family History

Erling Surname Meaning

North German: from the ancient Germanic personal name Erl ‘free man noble warrior’. German: habitational name from any of several places in Bavaria named Erling or Erlingen.

German: from a short form of any of the ancient Germanic personal names formed with heri hari ‘army’ as the first element + the personal suffix -ling. Swedish: from the personal name Erling (Old Norse Erlingr); see 1 above.

Swedish: variant of Ärling a habitational name from a placename such as Ärla + the suffix -ing ‘belonging to’.

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


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Where is the Erling family from?

You can see how Erling families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Erling family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Erling families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 17 Erling families living in London. This was about 41% of all the recorded Erling's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Erling families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Erling 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 Erling ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Secretary were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Erling. 22% of Erling men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Erling women worked as a Secretary. Some less common occupations for Americans named Erling were Laborer and Servant.

View Census Data for Erling | 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
    22%
  • Salesman
    18%
  • Truck Driver
    14%
  • Laborer
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Secretary
    50%
  • Servant
    50%

What Erling family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Erling. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Erling census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Erling

Passenger Lists

There are 788 immigration records available for the last name Erling. 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 Erling immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 675 military records available for the last name Erling. For the veterans among your Erling ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Erling military records

You've only scratched the surface of Erling family history

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What is the average Erling lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Erling life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Erling in 1954 was 28, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Erling

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

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