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Fortner Family History

Fortner Surname Meaning

German: variant (also Förtner) or Americanized form of Pförtner, an occupational name for the gatekeeper of a walled town or city, or the doorkeeper in a great house, castle, or monastery.

Middle High German phortenaere (from Latin porta ‘door, gate’).

Compare English Porter.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Fortner family from?

You can see how Fortner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fortner family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fortner families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 12 Fortner families living in Sussex. This was about 34% of all the recorded Fortner's in United Kingdom. Sussex had the highest population of Fortner families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fortner 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 Fortner ancestors do for a living?

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

View Census Data for Fortner | 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 Fortner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 37,000 census records available for the last name Fortner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fortner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Fortner

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Fortner. 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 Fortner immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Fortner. For the veterans among your Fortner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fortner military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fortner family history

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What is the average Fortner lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Fortner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Fortner in 1943 was 42, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fortner

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

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