Horner Family History

Horner Surname Meaning

English (North Yorkshire) and German: from Horn 1 with the agent suffix -er; used either as an occupational name for someone who made or sold small articles made of horn (Middle English hornere) a metonymic occupational name for someone who played a musical instrument made from the horn of an animal or a topographic name for someone who lived at a ‘horn’ of land. In the Middle Ages whole horns were used for many purposes: as drinking vessels, as containers, as wind instruments for sounding an alarm and for signalling to others (e.g. when hunting).

Pieces of horn were used to make spoons, buttons, combs, handles, decorative tips for rods, and other things. The horner's craft could include making musical horns as well as sheets of translucent horn for windows and for covering books. For example, Thomas Hornar of Petergate in York was paid for ‘hornyng et naillyng’ the superscribed covers of books in York Minster library in 142.

German (also Hörner): from any of various places called Horn, referring to their location at a spur of land, at a horn-shaped piece of land.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Horn 5.

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

Similar surnames: Corner, Thorner, Horne, Borner, Berner, Hirner, Hober, Honer, Horter, Hosner

1 million record(s) for Horner

309K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
30K	Military Records
16K	Immigration Records
207K	Census and Voter Lists
602K	Member Trees

Where is the Horner family from?

You can see how Horner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Horner family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Horner families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 118 Horner families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 32% of all the recorded Horner's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Horner families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Horner surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Horner ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Horner. 15% of Horner men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Horner women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Horner were Carpenter and Teacher.

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

15%

Farmer

12%

Salesman

6%

Carpenter

4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Housewife

8%

Stenographer

8%

Housekeeper

7%

Teacher

7%

What Horner family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 207K census records available for the last name Horner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Horner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 16K immigration records available for the last name Horner. 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.

Military Records

There are 30K military records available for the last name Horner. For the veterans among your Horner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Horner lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Horner life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Horner in 1940 was 34, and 75 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Horner 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.