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Guernsey Family History

Guernsey Name Meaning

English (southern): habitational name from the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. The name of the island is from the Old Norse ey ‘island’ with an uncertain first element perhaps the male personal name Grani in the genitive case with original -ar or from a genitive case form of grǫn ‘pine’. This surname is now rare in Britain.

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


Similar surnames: Gurnsey, Garnsey, Gurney, Gurley, Jersey, Gedney, Kersey, Gerner

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Guernsey family from?

You can see how Guernsey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Guernsey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Guernsey families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 12 Guernsey families living in Ontario. This was about 44% of all the recorded Guernsey's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Guernsey families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Guernsey surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Guernsey ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Guernsey. 46% of Guernsey men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Guernsey | 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%
  • Farmers Son
    19%
  • Laborer
    19%
  • Fishman
    19%
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What Guernsey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Guernsey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Guernsey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Guernsey

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Guernsey. 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 Guernsey immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Guernsey. For the veterans among your Guernsey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Guernsey military records

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What is the average Guernsey lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Guernsey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Guernsey in 1954 was 28, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Guernsey

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