History of your Surname
Get access to Barnes family records.Start a free trial

Barnes Family History

Barnes Name Meaning

English: habitational name from Barnes (on the Surrey bank of the Thames in London) named with Old English bere-ærn ‘barn a storehouse for barley and other grain’ or a topographic name or metonymic occupational name for someone who lived by or worked at a barn or barns from Middle English barn ‘barn granary’. English: variant of Barne with excrescent -s derived from either the Middle English personal name Bern Barn (based on the Scandinavian personal name Biǫrn or Old English Beorn both from a word meaning ‘warrior’) or from Middle English barn (Old Norse barn) ‘child’. The latter term is found as a byname for men of the upper classes; it might also have had the meaning ‘young man of a prominent family’ like Middle English child (see Child ). Irish: in Ireland in many cases this is no doubt the English name but in others it is possibly an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Bearáin ‘descendant of Bearán’ a byname meaning ‘spear’. French: variant of Bernes a derivative of a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with ber(n) ‘bear’ e.g. Bernhard . Jewish: variant of Parnes .

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


Similar surnames: Berner, Barney, Baines, Barner, Banes, Bares, Bardes, Barber, Farnes

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Barnes family from?

You can see how Barnes families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Barnes family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Barnes families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 909 Barnes families living in Ontario. This was about 50% of all the recorded Barnes's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Barnes families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Barnes surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Barnes ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Barnes. 27% of Barnes men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Barnes women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Barnes were Carpenter and Income. .

View Census Data for Barnes | 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
    27%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Carpenter
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Income
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Barnes family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Barnes. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Barnes census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Barnes

Passenger Lists

There are 111,000 immigration records available for the last name Barnes. 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 Barnes immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 220,000 military records available for the last name Barnes. For the veterans among your Barnes ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Barnes military records

You've only scratched the surface of Barnes family history

Discover More

What is the average Barnes lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Barnes life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Barnes in 1940 was 34, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Barnes

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Barnes family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Barnes last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial