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Lavin Family History

Lavin Surname Meaning

Irish (Sligo Roscommon Mayo): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Láimhín, a shortened form of Ó Flaithimhín ‘descendant of Flaithimhín’, a personal name from a diminutive of flaith ‘prince ruler’. This name is sometimes translated Hand from the similarity of the shortened form to lámh ‘hand’.

Irish (Tipperary): variant of Laffin. English (Cornwall): of Norman origin from an Anglo-Norman French and Middle English female personal name Lavin. It derives either from Latin Lavinia, the name of the second wife of Aeneas in Virgil's Aeneid or perhaps from a female form of the Anglo-Norman French male personal name Lafin inferred at Laffin.

Spanish (Lavín): habitational name from Lavin, a place so named in the Cantabria province. Swedish: from an unidentified first element + the adjectival suffix -in, a derivative of Latin -in(i)us ‘relating to’.

French (Somme): perhaps from either of the Old French personal names inferred at. This surname is very rare in France.

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


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Where is the Lavin family from?

You can see how Lavin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Lavin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Lavin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 198 Lavin families living in Lancashire. This was about 38% of all the recorded Lavin's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Lavin families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Lavin 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 Lavin 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 Lavin. 34% of Lavin men worked as a General Labourer and 76% of Lavin women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Lavin were Incapacitated and Domestic Duties Unpaid.

View Census Data for Lavin | 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
    34%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Farm Labourer
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Cotton Weaver
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Domestic Duties Unpaid
    2%

What Lavin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 37,000 census records available for the last name Lavin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Lavin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Lavin

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Lavin. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Lavin. For the veterans among your Lavin 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 Lavin family history

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What is the average Lavin lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Lavin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Lavin in 1945 was 72, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Lavin

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Lavin 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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