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Tarnoff Family History

Tarnoff Surname Meaning

American shortened and altered form of Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic) Tarnovski

a habitational name for someone from the village of Tarnovo in Belarus

or of Tarnowski.

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 Tarnoff family from?

You can see how Tarnoff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tarnoff family name was found in the USA in 1920. In 1920 there were 7 Tarnoff families living in Illinois. This was about 21% of all the recorded Tarnoff's in USA. Illinois and 1 other state had the highest population of Tarnoff families in 1920.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tarnoff 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 Tarnoff ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Clerk and Bookkeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Tarnoff. 42% of Tarnoff men worked as a Clerk and 43% of Tarnoff women worked as a Bookkeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tarnoff were Musician and Housewife.

View Census Data for Tarnoff | 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

  • Clerk
    42%
  • Salesman
    30%
  • Painter
    18%
  • Musician
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Bookkeeper
    43%
  • Salesman
    29%
  • Housewife
    29%

What Tarnoff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 479 census records available for the last name Tarnoff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tarnoff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Tarnoff

Passenger Lists

There are 246 immigration records available for the last name Tarnoff. 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 Tarnoff immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 181 military records available for the last name Tarnoff. For the veterans among your Tarnoff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tarnoff military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tarnoff family history

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What is the average Tarnoff lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Tarnoff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1984, and highest in 1970. The average life expectancy for Tarnoff in 1954 was 50, and 50 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tarnoff

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tarnoff 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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