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Cumningham Family History

Cumningham Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Cunningham, Cummingham, Burningham, Cookingham, Cottingham

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Cumningham family from?

You can see how Cumningham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cumningham family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cumningham families were found in USA in 1880. In 1851 there were 3 Cumningham families living in East Lothian. This was about 60% of all the recorded Cumningham's in Scotland. East Lothian had the highest population of Cumningham families in 1851.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cumningham surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1851
  • 1861
  • 1871
  • 1881
  • 1891
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What did your Cumningham ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Operator were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Cumningham. 55% of Cumningham men worked as a Laborer and 29% of Cumningham women worked as an Operator. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cumningham were Salesman and Maid.

View Census Data for Cumningham | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    55%
  • Farmer
    17%
  • Carpenter
    13%
  • Salesman
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Operator
    29%
  • Candy Saleslady
    15%
  • Housework
    15%
  • Maid
    15%

What Cumningham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 591 census records available for the last name Cumningham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cumningham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cumningham

Passenger Lists

There are 38 immigration records available for the last name Cumningham. 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 Cumningham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 99 military records available for the last name Cumningham. For the veterans among your Cumningham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cumningham military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cumningham family history

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What is the average Cumningham lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cumningham 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.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cumningham

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