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Kirkham Family History

Kirkham Surname Meaning

English (mainly northwestern): habitational name from any of the places in Lancashire and East Yorkshire named Kirkham. The placenames derive from Old Norse kirkja ‘church’ + Old English hām ‘village homestead’ or Old Norse heim ‘homestead estate’.

Possibly an altered form of German Kirchham, a habitational name from either of two places called Kirchham in Austria or Bavaria.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Kirkham family from?

You can see how Kirkham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kirkham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kirkham families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,687 Kirkham families living in Lancashire. This was about 38% of all the recorded Kirkham's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Kirkham families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kirkham 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 Kirkham 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 Kirkham. 9% of Kirkham men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Kirkham women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kirkham were Builders Labourer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Kirkham | 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
    9%
  • Dairy Farmer
    5%
  • Farmer
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Cotton Weaver
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Kirkham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 84,000 census records available for the last name Kirkham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kirkham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kirkham

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Kirkham. 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 Kirkham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Kirkham. For the veterans among your Kirkham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kirkham military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kirkham family history

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What is the average Kirkham lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Kirkham life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Kirkham in 1952 was 21, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kirkham

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kirkham 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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