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Gunning Family History

Gunning Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): from the Middle English personal name Gundewin (ancient Germanic Gund(e)win). Dutch: variant of Gunnink.

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Conaing ‘descendant of Conaing’ a personal name a borrowing of Anglo-Saxon cyning ‘king’.

In Clare sometimes adopted for Ó Gamhnáin see Goonan.

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


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Where is the Gunning family from?

You can see how Gunning families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gunning family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gunning families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 228 Gunning families living in Somerset. This was about 20% of all the recorded Gunning's in United Kingdom. Somerset had the highest population of Gunning families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gunning 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 Gunning 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 Gunning. 15% of Gunning men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Gunning women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gunning were Clerk In Holy Orders and Housewife.

View Census Data for Gunning | 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
    15%
  • Incapacitated
    12%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%
  • Clerk In Holy Orders
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%

What Gunning family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 46,000 census records available for the last name Gunning. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gunning census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gunning

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Gunning. 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 Gunning immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Gunning military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gunning family history

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What is the average Gunning lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Gunning life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Gunning in 1940 was 41, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gunning

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gunning 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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