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Kern Family History

Kern Surname Meaning

German Dutch and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle High German kerne ‘kernel seed pip’; Middle Dutch kern(e) keerne; German Kern or Yiddish kern ‘grain’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a farmer or a nickname for a physically small person.

As a Jewish surname, it is mainly artificial. English (southeastern): metonymic occupational name for a maker or user of milk churns from Middle English kern kirn kurn a side-form of chern ‘churn’. Compare Church.

Slovenian: nickname for a stunted person from an old spelling of krn ‘stunted’. Slovenian: possibly also of German origin (see 1 above) used as a translation of the Slovenian surname Žitnik (see Zitnik).

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


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Where is the Kern family from?

You can see how Kern families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kern family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kern families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 49 Kern families living in London. This was about 28% of all the recorded Kern's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Kern families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kern 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 Kern ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Engineers Pipe Erector and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Kern. 25% of Kern men worked as an Engineers Pipe Erector and 67% of Kern women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kern were Watchmaker and Cook General.

View Census Data for Kern | 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

  • Engineers Pipe Erector
    25%
  • General Labourer
    25%
  • Manufacturing Jeweller
    25%
  • Watchmaker
    25%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    8%
  • Domestic Servant
    5%
  • Cook General
    4%

What Kern family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 132,000 census records available for the last name Kern. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kern census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kern

Passenger Lists

There are 22,000 immigration records available for the last name Kern. 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 Kern immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 45,000 military records available for the last name Kern. For the veterans among your Kern ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kern military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kern family history

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What is the average Kern lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Kern life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Kern in 1941 was 41, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kern

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kern 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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