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Doherty Family History

Doherty Surname Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Dochartaigh ‘descendant of Dochartach’ a byname from docarthach ‘hard-hearted’ apparently from do + cartach ‘not loving’.

Doherty is the usual Anglo-Irish spelling; compare Scottish Docherty and Manx Daugherty.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Doherty family from?

You can see how Doherty families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Doherty family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Doherty families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 914 Doherty families living in Lancashire. This was about 42% of all the recorded Doherty's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Doherty families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Doherty 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 Doherty 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 Doherty. 19% of Doherty men worked as a General Labourer and 63% of Doherty women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Doherty were Builders Labourer Heavy Worker and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Doherty | 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
    19%
  • Builders Labourer
    8%
  • Dock Labourer
    3%
  • Builders Labourer Heavy Worker
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    63%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Doherty family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 256,000 census records available for the last name Doherty. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Doherty census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Doherty

Passenger Lists

There are 76,000 immigration records available for the last name Doherty. 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 Doherty immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 40,000 military records available for the last name Doherty. For the veterans among your Doherty ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Doherty military records

You've only scratched the surface of Doherty family history

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What is the average Doherty lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Doherty life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Doherty in 1940 was 30, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Doherty

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Doherty 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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