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Tarn Family History

Tarn Surname Meaning

from Middle English terne tarne turne ‘tarn small lake’ (Old Scandinavian tjǫrn).

anglicized spelling of the Chinese surnames 譚 覃 and 談 (Tan in Mandarin pinyin) based on their Mandarin pronunciation.

See Tan (1–3).

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Tarn family from?

You can see how Tarn families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tarn family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most Tarn families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 3 Tarn families living in British Columbia. This was about 50% of all the recorded Tarn's in Canada. British Columbia and 1 other province had the highest population of Tarn families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tarn 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 Tarn 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 Tarn. 24% of Tarn men worked as a Farmer and 86% of Tarn women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tarn were General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Tarn | 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.

England shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Farmer
    24%
  • Coal Hewer Below
    16%
  • General Labourer Heavy Worker
    16%
  • General Labourer
    16%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    86%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    5%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%

What Tarn family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Tarn. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tarn census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Tarn

Passenger Lists

There are 467 immigration records available for the last name Tarn. 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 Tarn immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Tarn. For the veterans among your Tarn ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tarn military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tarn family history

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What is the average Tarn lifespan?

Between 1968 and 2004, in the United States, Tarn life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1968, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Tarn in 1968 was 45, and 93 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tarn

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tarn 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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