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Garvey Family History

Garvey Surname Meaning

Irish (Western Ireland and Armagh): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Gairbhshíth ‘descendant of Gairbhshíth’ a personal name from garbh ‘rough cruel’ + síth ‘peace’.

See also McGarvey.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Garvey family from?

You can see how Garvey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Garvey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Garvey families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 360 Garvey families living in Lancashire. This was about 37% of all the recorded Garvey's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Garvey families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Garvey surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Garvey 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 Garvey. 24% of Garvey men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Garvey women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Garvey were Incapacitated and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Garvey | 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
    24%
  • Builders Labourer
    11%
  • Dock Labourer
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Garvey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 88,000 census records available for the last name Garvey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Garvey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Garvey

Passenger Lists

There are 16,000 immigration records available for the last name Garvey. 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 Garvey immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Garvey. For the veterans among your Garvey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Garvey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Garvey family history

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What is the average Garvey lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Garvey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Garvey in 1945 was 46, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Garvey

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Garvey 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.

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