Erb Family History

Erb Surname Meaning

German and Swiss German: from the medieval personal name Erbo meaning ‘descendant heir’ which was popular in the Upper Rhine area.

German: habitational name from Erb (Westphalia) or Erbe (North Rhine-Westphalia).

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

Similar surnames: Herb, Erk, Eib, Bern, Garb, Dern, Erben, Serr, Enz, Gerl

391,000 record(s) for Erb

95K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
14K	Military Records
5K	Immigration Records
44K	Census and Voter Lists
232K	Member Trees

Where is the Erb family from?

You can see how Erb families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Erb family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Erb families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 72 Erb families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 81% of all the recorded Erb's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Erb families in 1840.

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

What did your Erb ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Erb. 16% of Erb men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Erb women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Erb were Clerk and Stenographer.

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

14%

Salesman

7%

Clerk

4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Housekeeper

8%

Housewife

8%

Teacher

8%

Stenographer

8%

What Erb family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 44K census records available for the last name Erb. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Erb census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 5K immigration records available for the last name Erb. 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 14K military records available for the last name Erb. For the veterans among your Erb ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Erb lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Erb life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Erb in 1946 was 65, and 78 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Erb 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.