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Farmer Family History

Farmer Surname Meaning

English: occupational name from Middle English fermo(u)r fermer and Anglo-Norman French fermer (Old French fermier medieval Latin firmarius). The term denoted in the first instance a tax farmer one who undertook the collection of taxes revenues and imposts paying a fixed (Latin firmus) sum for the proceeds and only secondarily someone who rented land for the purpose of cultivation; it was not applied to an owner of cultivated land before the 17th century.

Irish: Anglicized (part translated) form of Gaelic Mac an Scolóige ‘son of the husbandman’ a rare surname of northern and western Ireland. Americanized form (translation into English) of French Terrien ‘owner of a farmland’ or of its altered form Therrien.

Compare Pharmer.

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


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Where is the Farmer family from?

You can see how Farmer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Farmer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Farmer families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,268 Farmer families living in London. This was about 16% of all the recorded Farmer's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Farmer families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Farmer 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 Farmer 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 Farmer. 8% of Farmer men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Farmer women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Farmer were Incapacitated and Private Means.

View Census Data for Farmer | 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
    8%
  • Gardener
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Farmer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 522,000 census records available for the last name Farmer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Farmer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Farmer

Passenger Lists

There are 44,000 immigration records available for the last name Farmer. 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 Farmer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 76,000 military records available for the last name Farmer. For the veterans among your Farmer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Farmer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Farmer family history

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What is the average Farmer lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Farmer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Farmer in 1940 was 49, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Farmer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Farmer 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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