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Herness Family History

Herness Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Harness, Henness, Hermes, Furness, Harkness, Ernest, Garness, Urness

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Herness family from?

You can see how Herness families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Herness family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Herness families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 15 Herness families living in Worcestershire. This was about 63% of all the recorded Herness's in United Kingdom. Worcestershire had the highest population of Herness families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Herness 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 Herness ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and New Worker were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Herness. 48% of Herness men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Herness women worked as a New Worker.

View Census Data for Herness | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    48%
  • Laborer
    27%
  • Miner
    16%
  • New Worker
    11%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • New Worker
    100%

What Herness family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 938 census records available for the last name Herness. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Herness census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Herness

Passenger Lists

There are 137 immigration records available for the last name Herness. 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 Herness immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 88 military records available for the last name Herness. For the veterans among your Herness ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Herness military records

You've only scratched the surface of Herness family history

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What is the average Herness lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2003, in the United States, Herness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1971, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Herness in 1955 was 59, and 79 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Herness

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Herness 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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