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Berns Family History

Berns Name Meaning

Dutch and North German: patronymic from Bern, a variant of Bernd. Latvian: from a short form of the personal name Bernards (see Bernhard).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Beins, Bens, Bern, Borns, Bernd, Berne, Bernt, Berni, Sens, Boers

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Berns family from?

You can see how Berns families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Berns family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Berns families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 28 Berns families living in Ontario. This was about 50% of all the recorded Berns's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Berns families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Berns 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 Berns ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Student were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Berns. 46% of Berns men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Berns women worked as a Student. Some less common occupations for Americans named Berns were Clerk and Housekeeper.

View Census data for Berns | 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
    46%
  • Labourer
    37%
  • Clerk
    19%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Student
    50%
  • Housekeeper
    50%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Berns family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Berns. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Berns census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Berns

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Berns. 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 Berns immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Berns. For the veterans among your Berns ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Berns military records

You've only scratched the surface of Berns family history.

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What is the average Berns lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Berns life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Berns in 1949 was 42, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Berns

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