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Mearns Family History

Mearns Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from the district of The Mearns, an alternative name for Kincardineshire or from Mearns in Renfrewshire.

The placenames derive from Gaelic An Mhaoirne ‘the Stewartry area under the jurisdiction of a steward’ and is also known to have been adopted in Ireland for Ó Mearáin.

See Marron.

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


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Where is the Mearns family from?

You can see how Mearns families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Mearns family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Mearns families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 47 Mearns families living in Durham. This was about 22% of all the recorded Mearns's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Mearns families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Mearns 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 Mearns ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, House Painter and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Mearns. 10% of Mearns men worked as a House Painter and 78% of Mearns women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Mearns were Invalid and Private Means.

View Census Data for Mearns | 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

  • House Painter
    10%
  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Incapacitated
    7%
  • Invalid
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    4%
  • Private Means
    4%

What Mearns family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Mearns. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Mearns census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Mearns

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Mearns. 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 Mearns immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Mearns. For the veterans among your Mearns ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Mearns military records

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What is the average Mearns lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Mearns life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1975. The average life expectancy for Mearns in 1950 was 49, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Mearns

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Mearns 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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