History of your Surname
Get access to Norman family records.Start a free trial

Norman Family History

Norman Name Meaning

English Irish (Dublin and Cork) and Scottish: ethnic or habitational name applied either to a Scandinavian or to someone from Normandy in northern France. The Scandinavian adventurers of the Dark Ages called themselves northmenn ‘men from the North’. Before 1066 Scandinavian settlers in England were already fairly readily absorbed and Northman and Normann came to be used as bynames and later as personal names even among the Saxon inhabitants. The term gained a new use from 1066 onward when England was settled by invaders from Normandy who were likewise of Scandinavian origin but by now largely integrated with the native population and speaking a Romance language retaining only their original ancient Germanic name. English: from the Middle English personal name Norman (recorded in the late Old English period as Northman) derived from northman ‘northerner’. Americanized form of German Normann . Altered form of French Normand . Dutch: variant mostly Americanized of Noorman a cognate of 1 above. Swedish: of German origin (see Normann ) or an ornamental name composed of the elements norr ‘north’ or nor ‘narrow stream between two waters’ + man ‘man’.7: Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Nordman .8: Americanized form of some similar (like-sounding) Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname. In at least one case it is an Americanized form of Novominsky the name of a family from Uman in Ukraine.

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


Similar surnames: Notman, Orman, Gorman, Dorman, German, Nordman, Osman, Forman

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Norman family from?

You can see how Norman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Norman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Norman families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 64 Norman families living in Tennessee. This was about 13% of all the recorded Norman's in USA. Tennessee had the highest population of Norman families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Norman surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Norman ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Norman. 16% of Norman men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Norman women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Norman were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Norman | 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
    16%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Norman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 546,000 census records available for the last name Norman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Norman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Norman

Passenger Lists

There are 60,000 immigration records available for the last name Norman. 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 Norman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 71,000 military records available for the last name Norman. For the veterans among your Norman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Norman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Norman family history

Discover More

What is the average Norman lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Norman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Norman in 1940 was 37, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Norman

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Norman family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Norman last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial