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Barney Family History

Barney Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Barney in Norfolk which is probably named with an Old English personal name Bera (with genitive -n) + Old English ēg ‘island dry ground in a marsh’. English: from the personal name Barney a pet form of Bernard.

Scottish: possibly from the Old Norse personal name Bjarni (from bjǫrn ‘bear’). In some cases also an Americanized form of French Bernier.

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


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Where is the Barney family from?

You can see how Barney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Barney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Barney families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 132 Barney families living in New York. This was about 31% of all the recorded Barney's in USA. New York had the highest population of Barney families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Barney surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Barney ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Barney. 20% of Barney men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Barney women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Barney were Truck Driver and Maid.

View Census Data for Barney | 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 1940

  • Laborer
    20%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Teacher
    6%
  • Maid
    6%

What Barney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 110,000 census records available for the last name Barney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Barney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Barney

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Barney. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Barney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 22,000 military records available for the last name Barney. For the veterans among your Barney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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