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Cavanagh Family History

Cavanagh Surname Meaning

Irish: variant of Kavanagh.

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


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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Cavanagh family from?

You can see how Cavanagh families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cavanagh family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cavanagh families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 894 Cavanagh families living in Lancashire. This was about 46% of all the recorded Cavanagh's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Cavanagh families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cavanagh 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 Cavanagh 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 Cavanagh. 22% of Cavanagh men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Cavanagh women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cavanagh were Bricklayer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Cavanagh | 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
    22%
  • Builders Labourer
    9%
  • Dock Labourer
    7%
  • Bricklayer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

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

What Cavanagh family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 93,000 census records available for the last name Cavanagh. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cavanagh census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cavanagh

Passenger Lists

There are 23,000 immigration records available for the last name Cavanagh. 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 Cavanagh immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Cavanagh. For the veterans among your Cavanagh ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cavanagh military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cavanagh family history

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What is the average Cavanagh lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Cavanagh life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Cavanagh in 1944 was 27, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cavanagh

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cavanagh 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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