Kerr Family History

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Kerr Name Meaning

English and Scottish: topographic name for someone who lived by a patch of wet ground overgrown with brushwood, northern Middle English kerr (Old Norse kjarr). A legend grew up that the Kerrs were left-handed, on theory that the name is derived from Gaelic cearr ‘wrong-handed’, ‘left-handed’. Irish: see Carr. This surname has also absorbed examples of German Kehr.

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


Similar surnames: Kern, Kehr, Herr, Kirk, Kear, Merry, Burr, Kerl, Keer, Ker

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Kerr Family Origin

Where is the Kerr family from?

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You can see how Kerr families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kerr family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kerr families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 1,847 Kerr families living in Ontario. This was about 58% of all the recorded Kerr's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Kerr families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kerr surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Kerr

Kerr Family Occupations

What did your Kerr ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Kerr. 29% of Kerr men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Kerr women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kerr were Laborer and Student

View Census data for Kerr | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1921

  • Farmer
    29%
  • Labourer
    5%
  • Clerk
    4%
  • Laborer
    3%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Clerk
    9%
  • Stenographer
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
  • Student
    6%

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Kerr Historical Records

What Kerr family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 574,000 census records available for the last name Kerr. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kerr census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1881 Canadian census records for Kerr

Passenger List

There are 116,000 immigration records available for the last name Kerr. 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 Kerr immigration records

Draft Card

There are 81,000 military records available for the last name Kerr. For the veterans among your Kerr ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kerr military records

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

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Kerr Life Expectancy

What is the average Kerr lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Kerr life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Kerr in 1941 was 45, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kerr

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kerr ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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