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Cairns Family History

Cairns Name Meaning

Scottish (southern): habitational name from the lands of Cairns in Mid Calder (Midlothian). Irish (Down Antrim and Tyrone): in the north of Ireland there may have been confusion between the Scottish surname and Irish Ó Ciaráin Anglicized as Kieran and Kearns .

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


Similar surnames: Carne, Cain, Mains, Caird, Cane, Carns, Nairn, Chaires, Cairnes

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Where is the Cairns family from?

You can see how Cairns families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cairns family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cairns families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1911 there were 171 Cairns families living in Ontario. This was about 40% of all the recorded Cairns's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Cairns families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cairns surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Cairns ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Student were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Cairns. 42% of Cairns men worked as a Farmer and 18% of Cairns women worked as a Student. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cairns were Clerk and Farmer. .

View Census Data for Cairns | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    42%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Farmers Son
    5%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Student
    18%
  • Stenographer
    16%
  • School Teacher
    12%
  • Farmer
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Cairns family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 126,000 census records available for the last name Cairns. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cairns census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Cairns

Passenger Lists

There are 22,000 immigration records available for the last name Cairns. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cairns immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 14,000 military records available for the last name Cairns. For the veterans among your Cairns ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cairns military records

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What is the average Cairns lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Cairns life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Cairns in 1941 was 45, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cairns

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