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Besner Family History

Besner Surname Meaning

Altered form of southern French Bézanère: habitational name from the name of a lost place in either Ariège or Haute-Garonne. The surname Bézanère is very rare in France.

Jewish (from Austrian Galicia): from German Besen ‘broom’ + suffix -(n)er either a metonymic occupational name or one of the names assigned randomly by Austrian clerks.

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


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Where is the Besner family from?

You can see how Besner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Besner family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Besner families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1911 there were 181 Besner families living in Quebec. This was about 80% of all the recorded Besner's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Besner families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Besner 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 Besner ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Cultivateur was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Besner. 39% of Besner men worked as a Cultivateur.

View Census Data for Besner | 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

  • Cultivateur
    39%
  • Farmer
    24%
  • Fils De Cultivateur
    15%
  • Fils Cultivateur
    15%

What Besner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Besner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Besner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Besner

Passenger Lists

There are 580 immigration records available for the last name Besner. 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 Besner immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 313 military records available for the last name Besner. For the veterans among your Besner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Besner military records

You've only scratched the surface of Besner family history

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What is the average Besner lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Besner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Besner in 1945 was 27, and 92 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Besner

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Besner 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Besner family tree

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