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Northern Family History

Northern Surname Meaning

English (East Midlands): from Middle English northern northren ‘northern’ (Old English northerne) for someone ‘from the north’ particularly as an English nickname for someone from Scotland or Scandinavia

or a southern English nickname for someone from the north of the country.

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


Similar surnames: 

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Northern family from?

You can see how Northern families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Northern family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Northern families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 49 Northern families living in Yorkshire. This was about 21% of all the recorded Northern's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Northern families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Northern 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 Northern ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Northern. 23% of Northern men worked as a Farmer and 89% of Northern women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Northern were Farmer Assisting Father and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Northern | 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

  • Farmer
    23%
  • Farm Worker
    12%
  • Farm Labourer
    12%
  • Farmer Assisting Father
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    89%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Hosiery Winder
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%

What Northern family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 15,000 census records available for the last name Northern. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Northern census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Northern

Passenger Lists

There are 680 immigration records available for the last name Northern. 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 Northern immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 22,000 military records available for the last name Northern. For the veterans among your Northern ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Northern military records

You've only scratched the surface of Northern family history

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What is the average Northern lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Northern life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1962. The average life expectancy for Northern in 1953 was 26, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Northern

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Northern 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Northern family tree

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