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Werner Family History

Werner Surname Meaning

German, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish: from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements warin ‘protection, shelter’ or ‘guard’ + heri hari ‘army’. The surname of German origin is also found in Britain (compare Warner) and France (Alsace and Lorraine).

Compare Verner. Germanized or Americanized form of Czech, Hungarian, Swedish, Danish, Croatian, and Slovenian Verner, a cognate or variant of 1 above.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Werner family from?

You can see how Werner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Werner family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Werner families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 94 Werner families living in Ontario. This was about 48% of all the recorded Werner's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Werner families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Werner 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 Werner ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Werner. 58% of Werner men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Werner women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Werner were Labourer and Teacher.

View Census Data for Werner | 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
    58%
  • Farmers Son
    8%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    50%
  • Operator
    25%
  • Teacher
    25%

What Werner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 164,000 census records available for the last name Werner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Werner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Werner

Passenger Lists

There are 50,000 immigration records available for the last name Werner. 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 Werner immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 77,000 military records available for the last name Werner. For the veterans among your Werner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Werner military records

You've only scratched the surface of Werner family history

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What is the average Werner lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Werner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Werner in 1940 was 46, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Werner

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Werner 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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