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Erling Family History

Erling Name Meaning

North German: from the ancient Germanic personal name Erl ‘free man noble warrior’. German: habitational name from any of several places in Bavaria named Erling or Erlingen. German: from a short form of any of the ancient Germanic personal names formed with heri hari ‘army’ as the first element + the personal suffix -ling. Swedish: from the personal name Erling (Old Norse Erlingr); see 1 above. Swedish: variant of Ärling a habitational name from a placename such as Ärla + the suffix -ing ‘belonging to’.

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


Similar surnames: Etling, Herling, Elling, Werling, Emling, Berling, Arling, Gerling

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 Erling family from?

You can see how Erling families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Erling family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Erling families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there was 1 Erling family living in British Columbia. This was 100% of all the recorded Erling's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Erling families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Erling surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Erling ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Secretary were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Erling. 22% of Erling men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Erling women worked as a Secretary. Some less common occupations for Americans named Erling were Laborer and Servant. .

View Census Data for Erling | 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

  • Farmer
    22%
  • Salesman
    18%
  • Truck Driver
    14%
  • Laborer
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Secretary
    50%
  • Servant
    50%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Erling family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Erling. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Erling census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Erling

Passenger Lists

There are 788 immigration records available for the last name Erling. 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 Erling immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 675 military records available for the last name Erling. For the veterans among your Erling ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Erling military records

You've only scratched the surface of Erling family history

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What is the average Erling lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Erling life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Erling in 1954 was 28, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Erling

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