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Garnham Family History

Garnham Surname Meaning

The usual English form of Gernon is pronounced as both /ʤa:nəm/ and /ga:nəm/. As early as the 12th century, Gernun is found occasionally as Gernum. This later became Garnom and Garnam, Garnham, and Jarnham, as if derived from a place-name.

Notable individuals with the name include Thomas Gernon, Nicholas Gernown, John Garnon, and Edmund Garnon. Records from 1524 in Subsidy Rolls (Bacton, Suffolk) show these names, which are identical to those of 16th-century bearers.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Garnham family from?

You can see how Garnham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Garnham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Garnham families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 663 Garnham families living in Suffolk. This was about 37% of all the recorded Garnham's in United Kingdom. Suffolk had the highest population of Garnham families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Garnham 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 Garnham ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farm Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Garnham. 10% of Garnham men worked as a Farm Labourer and 74% of Garnham women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Garnham were Incapacitated and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Garnham | 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

  • Farm Labourer
    10%
  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Agricultural Labourer
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Garnham family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Garnham

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Garnham. For the veterans among your Garnham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Garnham military records

You've only scratched the surface of Garnham family history

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What is the average Garnham lifespan?

Between 1965 and 2004, in the United States, Garnham life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2004, and highest in 1987. The average life expectancy for Garnham in 1965 was 68, and 49 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Garnham

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Garnham 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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