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Gilroy Family History

Gilroy Surname Meaning

Irish and Scottish: shortened Anglicized form of Irish Mac Giolla Rua and Scottish Gaelic Mac Gille Ruaidh ‘son of the red-haired lad’ from ruadh ‘red’.

Compare McElroy.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Gilroy family from?

You can see how Gilroy families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gilroy family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gilroy families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 186 Gilroy families living in Northumberland. This was about 26% of all the recorded Gilroy's in United Kingdom. Northumberland had the highest population of Gilroy families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gilroy 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 Gilroy 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 Gilroy. 31% of Gilroy men worked as a General Labourer and 74% of Gilroy women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gilroy were Labourer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Gilroy | 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
    31%
  • Builders Labourer
    13%
  • Bricklayer
    11%
  • Labourer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Gilroy family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 45,000 census records available for the last name Gilroy. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gilroy census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gilroy

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Gilroy. 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 Gilroy immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Gilroy military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gilroy family history

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What is the average Gilroy lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Gilroy life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Gilroy in 1940 was 36, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gilroy

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gilroy 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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