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Harness Family History

Harness Name Meaning

English (Lincolnshire): of Norman origin from the Middle English and Old French personal name Erneis Herneis (ancient Germanic Arn(e)gis possibly from arn- ‘eagle’ + the base-form of gisl- ‘pledge hostage’). Compare Ernest . English (Lincolnshire): occasionally possibly also a nickname from Middle English Old French harneis ‘harness equipment gear tackle (especially body armor and horse trappings)’ used to denote a maker of harnesses or other equipment or someone who wore a distinctive suit of armor. Norwegian: old variant of Harnes (and in North America probably also an altered form of this) a habitational name from the farm name Harnes from an unattested word for ‘rock stony soil’ + nes ‘promontory headland’.

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


Similar surnames: Harkness, Barnes, Harnois, Garness, Harless, Haynes, Furness, Holness

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Where is the Harness family from?

You can see how Harness families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Harness family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Harness families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 14 Harness families living in Ontario. This was about 54% of all the recorded Harness's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Harness families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Harness 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 Harness ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Harness. 43% of Harness men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Harness women worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Harness | 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
    43%
  • Barber
    15%
  • Salesman
    15%
  • Blacksmith
    15%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    100%
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What Harness family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 28,000 census records available for the last name Harness. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Harness census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Harness

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Harness. 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 Harness immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Harness. For the veterans among your Harness ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Harness military records

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What is the average Harness lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Harness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Harness in 1944 was 40, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Harness

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