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Forness Family History

Forness Name Meaning

Norwegian: old variant of Fornes and in North America probably also an altered form of this.

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


Similar surnames: Garness, Furniss, Forbess, Forbus, Furnish, Fones, Holness, Forest

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 Forness family from?

You can see how Forness families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Forness family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Forness families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 14 Forness families living in Quebec. This was 100% of all the recorded Forness's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Forness families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Forness surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Forness ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Forness. 30% of Forness men worked as a Laborer and 34% of Forness women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Forness were Manager and Housework. .

View Census Data for Forness | 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

  • Laborer
    30%
  • Farmer
    22%
  • Salesman
    20%
  • Manager
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    34%
  • Seamstress
    23%
  • Saleslady
    23%
  • Housework
    23%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Forness family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Forness. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Forness census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Forness

Passenger Lists

There are 200 immigration records available for the last name Forness. 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 Forness immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 340 military records available for the last name Forness. For the veterans among your Forness ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Forness military records

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What is the average Forness lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Forness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1990, and highest in 1985. The average life expectancy for Forness in 1960 was 51, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Forness

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