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Garner Family History

Garner Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): perhaps occasionally from the Old French personal name Garnier (see Garnier) but it is exceptionally rare as a personal name in medieval England and no certain evidence has been found for its use as a surname. Compare Warner.

English: from Middle English gern(i)er garner gurner Anglo-Norman French gerner ‘granary’ (Old French grenier from Late Latin granarium a derivative of granum ‘grain’). It was probably a metonymic occupational name for someone in charge of the stores kept in a granary.

English and Scottish: commonly shortened form of Gardner. South German: from an agent derivative of Middle High German garn ‘thread’; by extension an occupational name for a fisherman.

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


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Where is the Garner family from?

You can see how Garner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Garner family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Garner families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,641 Garner families living in Lancashire. This was about 19% of all the recorded Garner's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Garner families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Garner 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 Garner 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 Garner. 8% of Garner men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Garner women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Garner were Builders Labourer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Garner | 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%
  • Farmer
    4%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Garner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 381,000 census records available for the last name Garner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Garner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Garner

Passenger Lists

There are 23,000 immigration records available for the last name Garner. 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 Garner immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 66,000 military records available for the last name Garner. For the veterans among your Garner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Garner military records

You've only scratched the surface of Garner family history

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What is the average Garner lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Garner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Garner in 1940 was 26, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Garner

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Garner 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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