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Walsh Family History

Walsh Surname Meaning

English and Irish: ethnic name from Middle English walshe (Old English wælisc) ‘foreign Welsh’. This form of the name was generally more common than Welsh especially in Ireland where it originally denoted a Welsh-speaking immigrant in particular any of the Welshmen who arrived in the wake of Strongbow's Anglo-Norman invasion of 1170.

In Ireland it is sometimes also a translation of Breathnach ‘Briton’. English: in Yorkshire and Lancashire the name is sometimes a shortened form of Walshaw.

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


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Where is the Walsh family from?

You can see how Walsh families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Walsh family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Walsh families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 8,760 Walsh families living in Lancashire. This was about 54% of all the recorded Walsh's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Walsh families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Walsh 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 Walsh 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 Walsh. 14% of Walsh men worked as a General Labourer and 58% of Walsh women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Walsh were Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Walsh | 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
    14%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Cotton Weaver
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    58%
  • Cotton Weaver
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Walsh family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Walsh. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Walsh census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Walsh

Passenger Lists

There are 243,000 immigration records available for the last name Walsh. 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 Walsh immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 162,000 military records available for the last name Walsh. For the veterans among your Walsh ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Walsh military records

You've only scratched the surface of Walsh family history

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What is the average Walsh lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Walsh life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Walsh in 1940 was 46, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Walsh

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Walsh 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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