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Fairburn Family History

Fairburn Surname Meaning

English (northern): habitational name from Fairburn in Yorkshire so named from Old English fearn ‘fern’ + burna ‘stream’.

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


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Where is the Fairburn family from?

You can see how Fairburn families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fairburn family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fairburn families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 433 Fairburn families living in Yorkshire. This was about 55% of all the recorded Fairburn's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Fairburn families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fairburn 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 Fairburn 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 Fairburn. 14% of Fairburn men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Fairburn women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fairburn were Transport Driver and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Fairburn | 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
    14%
  • Farm Labourer
    10%
  • Joiner
    10%
  • Transport Driver
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%

What Fairburn family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 21,000 census records available for the last name Fairburn. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fairburn census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Fairburn

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Fairburn. 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 Fairburn immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Fairburn. For the veterans among your Fairburn ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fairburn military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fairburn family history

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What is the average Fairburn lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Fairburn life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Fairburn in 1960 was 44, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fairburn

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Fairburn 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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