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Ness Family History

Ness Surname Meaning

Norwegian, Scottish, and English (East Yorkshire): topographic name for someone who lived on a headland or promontory. Old Norse nes, Old English næss, Middle English nes(se), nas(s)e, noss or a habitational name from any of numerous places called with this word; there are over a hundred farms in Norway and many settlements in Scotland and northern England so named.

Scottish: from the Gaelic personal name Ness, itself possibly from Old Irish ness ‘weasel’.

German: habitational name from any of the places called Nesse in Oldenburg and Friesland.

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


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Where is the Ness family from?

You can see how Ness families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ness family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ness families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 77 Ness families living in Ontario. This was about 37% of all the recorded Ness's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Ness families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ness 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 Ness ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Ness. 49% of Ness men worked as a Farmer and 27% of Ness women worked as a Farmer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ness were Merchant and Operator.

View Census Data for Ness | 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
    49%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Merchant
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    27%
  • Housekeeper
    20%
  • Teacher
    14%
  • Operator
    14%

What Ness family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 85,000 census records available for the last name Ness. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ness census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Ness

Passenger Lists

There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Ness. 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 Ness immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 31,000 military records available for the last name Ness. For the veterans among your Ness ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ness military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ness family history

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What is the average Ness lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Ness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Ness in 1944 was 28, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ness

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ness 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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