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Herman Family History

Herman Surname Meaning

English, French, Walloon, Dutch, Flemish, Hungarian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, and Croatian: from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements heri hari ‘army’ + man ‘man’. Compare Harman.

Americanized form of German Hermann a cognate of 1 above. English: perhaps a shortened form of Herniman, a topographic name for a ‘dweller (in a) nook or corner of land’ from Middle English herne hirne hurne + man. See also Hearn.

English: possibly an occupational name from Middle English hir(e)man herman or hurmon ‘hired servant or retainer’ though medieval examples of the surname have yet to be found.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Hermann.

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


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Where is the Herman family from?

You can see how Herman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Herman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Herman families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 368 Herman families living in Ontario. This was about 33% of all the recorded Herman's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Herman families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Herman 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 Herman ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Herman. 38% of Herman men worked as a Farmer and 22% of Herman women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Herman were Trapper and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Herman | 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
    38%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Trapper
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    22%
  • Student
    12%
  • Farmer
    10%
  • Housekeeper
    10%

What Herman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 264,000 census records available for the last name Herman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Herman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Herman

Passenger Lists

There are 46,000 immigration records available for the last name Herman. 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 Herman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 43,000 military records available for the last name Herman. For the veterans among your Herman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Herman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Herman family history

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What is the average Herman lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Herman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Herman in 1942 was 39, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Herman

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Herman 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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