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Forness Family History

Forness Surname Meaning

Norwegian: old variant of Fornes and in North America probably also an altered form of this.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Forness family from?

You can see how Forness families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Forness family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Forness families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Forness family living in Durham. This was about 33% of all the recorded Forness's in United Kingdom. Durham and 2 other counties had the highest population of Forness families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Forness 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 Forness ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Forness. 100% of Forness women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Forness | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Forness family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Forness. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Forness census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Forness

Passenger Lists

There are 200 immigration records available for the last name Forness. 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 Forness immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 340 military records available for the last name Forness. For the veterans among your Forness ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Forness military records

You've only scratched the surface of Forness family history

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What is the average Forness lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Forness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1990, and highest in 1985. The average life expectancy for Forness in 1960 was 51, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Forness

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

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