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Berner Family History

Berner Name Meaning

English (of Norman origin): from the Middle English personal name Berner of Norman origin (Old French Bernier from ancient Germanic Berner from ber(n) ‘bear’ + hari ‘army’). English: possibly an occupational name from Middle English berner a derivative of Old English beornan ‘to burn’ denoting a limeburner or charcoal burner (compare German Kalkbrenner ). Compare Ashburner ; see also Brenner and Burner . It may also have denoted someone who baked bricks or distilled spirits or who carried out any other manufacturing process involving burning. English: occupational name from Middle English berner ‘keeper of the hounds’ (Old French bern(i)er brenier a derivative of bren bran ‘bran’ on which the dogs were fed). Compare Brenner . German: habitational name in Silesia denoting someone from a place called Berna (of which there are two examples); in southern Germany and Switzerland denoting someone from the Swiss city of Berne. German: from the ancient Germanic personal name Bernher meaning ‘lord of the army’. North German: occupational name for a lime or charcoal burner (cognate with 2 above) from an agent derivative of Middle High German brennen ‘to burn’.

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


Similar surnames: Lerner, Borner, Berger, Barner, Kerner, Bernier, Derner, Burner

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Where is the Berner family from?

You can see how Berner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Berner family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Berner families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 59 Berner families living in Ontario. This was about 38% of all the recorded Berner's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Berner families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Berner surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Berner ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Instutrice were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Berner. 44% of Berner men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Berner women worked as an Instutrice. Some less common occupations for Americans named Berner were Proprietor and Operator. .

View Census Data for Berner | 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
    44%
  • Cultivateur
    35%
  • Labourer
    14%
  • Proprietor
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Instutrice
    50%
  • Operator
    50%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Berner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 28,000 census records available for the last name Berner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Berner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Berner

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Berner. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Berner. For the veterans among your Berner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Berner lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Berner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Berner in 1947 was 53, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Berner

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