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Dern Family History

Dern Surname Meaning

German:: from an old personal name based on an element cognate with Old High German tarhnen ‘to conceal’ tarni ‘secretly’.

Possibly a habitational name from Derne near Dortmund or Dehrn on the Lahn river Hesse.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Dern family from?

You can see how Dern families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dern family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dern families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 9 Dern families living in Ontario. This was about 69% of all the recorded Dern's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Dern families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dern 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 Dern ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Dern. 20% of Dern men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Dern women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dern were Salesman and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Dern | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    20%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Carpenter
    8%
  • Salesman
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    12%
  • Teacher
    10%
  • Stenographer
    10%

What Dern family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Dern. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dern census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Dern

Passenger Lists

There are 908 immigration records available for the last name Dern. 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 Dern immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Dern military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dern family history

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What is the average Dern lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2003, in the United States, Dern life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Dern in 1951 was 46, and 66 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dern

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dern 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 Dern family tree

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