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Karman Family History

Karman Surname Meaning

Dutch: occupational name for a carter Middle Dutch kerreman. Americanized form of German Karmann. Hungarian (Kármán): from kármány an ethnic name for the Turkish people of southern Anatolia's Karaman region which was famous for its silk and leather products.

The name is probably derived via medieval Latin Caramanus Carmanus not directly from Turkish. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from Russian karman ‘bag pocket’ presumably applied as a metonymic occupational name for a maker of such articles.

Jewish (from Hungary; Kármán): adoption of either as a Hungarian calque of the formerly used German-based surname or because the Hungarian surname (or word) has some sounds in common with the original surname.

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


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Where is the Karman family from?

You can see how Karman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Karman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Karman families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 6 Karman families living in Glamorgan. This was about 22% of all the recorded Karman's in United Kingdom. Glamorgan and 1 other county had the highest population of Karman families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Karman 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 Karman ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Karman. 27% of Karman men worked as a Laborer and 14% of Karman women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Karman were Salesman and Waitress.

View Census Data for Karman | 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

  • Laborer
    27%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Machinist
    6%
  • Salesman
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    14%
  • Secretary
    11%
  • Teacher
    11%
  • Waitress
    11%

What Karman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Karman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Karman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Karman

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 790 military records available for the last name Karman. For the veterans among your Karman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Karman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Karman family history

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What is the average Karman lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2003, in the United States, Karman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1983. The average life expectancy for Karman in 1956 was 53, and 86 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Karman

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Karman 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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