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Phinney Family History

Phinney Surname Meaning

English: variant of Finney. This surname is rare in Britain.

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


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Where is the Phinney family from?

You can see how Phinney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Phinney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Phinney families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 3 Phinney families living in Durham. This was about 60% of all the recorded Phinney's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Phinney families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Phinney 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 Phinney ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Phinney. 15% of Phinney men worked as a Farmer and 10% of Phinney women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Phinney were Truck Driver and Housewife.

View Census Data for Phinney | 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

  • Farmer
    15%
  • Laborer
    14%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Truck Driver
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    10%
  • Teacher
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Housewife
    8%

What Phinney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 26,000 census records available for the last name Phinney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Phinney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Phinney

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Phinney. 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 Phinney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Phinney. For the veterans among your Phinney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Phinney military records

You've only scratched the surface of Phinney family history

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What is the average Phinney lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Phinney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Phinney in 1948 was 32, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Phinney

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Phinney 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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