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Kerr Family History

Kerr Name Meaning

English and Scottish: topographic name for someone who lived by a marsh or swampy woodland Middle English kerr ‘brushwood wet ground’ (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: variant of Carr . Americanized form of German Kehr or of some other similar (like-sounding) surname. Scottish: shortened form of Gaelic Mac Gille Chéir ‘son of the dusky lad’ formerly Anglicized in Arran as McGilker.

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


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

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Kerr family from?

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 USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 187 Kerr families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 27% of all the recorded Kerr's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Kerr families in 1840.
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.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Kerr ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Kerr. 12% of Kerr men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Kerr women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kerr were Clerk and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Kerr | 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

  • Farmer
    12%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    9%
  • Stenographer
    7%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Clerk
    6%
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What Kerr family records will you find?

Census Records

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 US census records for Kerr

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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.

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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

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