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Blackburn Family History

Blackburn Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of various places called Blackburn but especially the one in Lancashire so named with Old English blæc ‘dark’ + burna ‘stream’. This surname is found mainly in northern England.

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


Similar surnames: Blackmore, Blackhurst, Blackford, Bradburn, Cockburn, Blacknall

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Blackburn family from?

You can see how Blackburn families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Blackburn family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Blackburn families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 388 Blackburn families living in Ontario. This was about 45% of all the recorded Blackburn's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Blackburn families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Blackburn surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Blackburn ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Income were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Blackburn. 33% of Blackburn men worked as a Farmer and 19% of Blackburn women worked as an Income. Some less common occupations for Americans named Blackburn were Laborer and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Blackburn | 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
    33%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Cultivateur
    7%
  • Laborer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Income
    19%
  • Student
    11%
  • Domestic
    10%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Blackburn family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 386,000 census records available for the last name Blackburn. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Blackburn census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Blackburn

Passenger Lists

There are 27,000 immigration records available for the last name Blackburn. 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 Blackburn immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 46,000 military records available for the last name Blackburn. For the veterans among your Blackburn ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Blackburn military records

You've only scratched the surface of Blackburn family history

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What is the average Blackburn lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Blackburn life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Blackburn in 1940 was 40, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Blackburn

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Blackburn family tree

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