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Olness Family History

Olness 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: Holness, Osness, Otness, Ness, Olney, Urness, Lyness, Boness, Oles

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Olness family from?

You can see how Olness families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Olness family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Olness families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 6 Olness families living in Sussex. This was about 55% of all the recorded Olness's in United Kingdom. Sussex had the highest population of Olness families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Olness 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 Olness ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Olness. 48% of Olness men worked as a Farmer and 60% of Olness women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Olness were New Worker and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Olness | 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%
  • Carpenter
    14%
  • Laborer
    14%
  • New Worker
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    60%
  • Housekeeper
    40%

What Olness family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 933 census records available for the last name Olness. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Olness census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Olness

Passenger Lists

There are 128 immigration records available for the last name Olness. 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 Olness immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 105 military records available for the last name Olness. For the veterans among your Olness ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Olness military records

You've only scratched the surface of Olness family history

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What is the average Olness lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Olness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Olness in 1955 was 40, and 98 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Olness

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Olness 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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