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

Cunning Family History

Cunning Name Meaning

Irish and Scottish (Fife): variant of Scottish or English Conning from Middle English Anglo-Norman French coning ‘rabbit’ used for someone thought to resemble a rabbit in some way; perhaps also an occupational name for a furrier. See also Coney . Irish: variant of Gunning .

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


Similar surnames: Canning, Dunning, Running, Lunning, Sinning, Benning, Buening

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 Cunning family from?

You can see how Cunning families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cunning family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cunning families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 82 Cunning families living in London. This was about 31% of all the recorded Cunning's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Cunning families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cunning surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Cunning ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cunning. 100% of Cunning men worked as a General Labourer and 79% of Cunning women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Cunning | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • Housekeeper
    5%
  • Private Means
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Cunning family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 22,000 census records available for the last name Cunning. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cunning census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cunning

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Cunning. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cunning immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Cunning. For the veterans among your Cunning ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cunning military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cunning family history

Discover More

What is the average Cunning lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Cunning life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1965. The average life expectancy for Cunning in 1952 was 51, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cunning

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Cunning family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Cunning last name

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