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Cunningham Family History

Cunningham Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from the province of Cunningham in Ayrshire first recorded in 1153 in the form Cunegan, a Celtic name of uncertain origin. The spellings in -ham first recorded in 1180 and in -ynghame first recorded in 1227 represent a gradual assimilation to the English placename element -ingham.

Irish: surname adopted from Gaelic Ó Cuinneagáin ‘descendant of Cuinneagán’, a personal name from a double diminutive of the Old Irish personal name Conn meaning ‘leader, chief’. This name is also adopted for Ó Connacháin, a variant of Ó Connagáin ‘descendant of Connagán’ from a diminutive of the personal name Conn.

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


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Where is the Cunningham family from?

You can see how Cunningham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cunningham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cunningham families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2,145 Cunningham families living in Lancashire. This was about 29% of all the recorded Cunningham's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Cunningham families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cunningham 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 Cunningham 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 Cunningham. 13% of Cunningham men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Cunningham women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cunningham were Bricklayer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Cunningham | 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
    13%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Bricklayer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Cunningham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 853,000 census records available for the last name Cunningham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cunningham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cunningham

Passenger Lists

There are 145,000 immigration records available for the last name Cunningham. 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 Cunningham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 154,000 military records available for the last name Cunningham. For the veterans among your Cunningham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Cunningham family history

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What is the average Cunningham lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Cunningham life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Cunningham in 1941 was 38, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cunningham

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cunningham 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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