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Mccarthy Family History

Mccarthy Surname Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Cárthaigh ‘son of Cárthach’ a personal name meaning ‘loving’. This was the name of a ruling family in Munster.

In Ireland major branches were distinguished by the following epithets: mór ‘great’ in Kerry.

Riabhach ‘brindled’ in Carbery, west Cork.

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


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Where is the Mccarthy family from?

You can see how Mccarthy families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Mccarthy family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Mccarthy families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 1,174 Mccarthy families living in London. This was about 35% of all the recorded Mccarthy's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Mccarthy families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Mccarthy 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 Mccarthy 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 Mccarthy. 13% of Mccarthy men worked as a General Labourer and 63% of Mccarthy women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Mccarthy were Incapacitated and Housewife.

View Census Data for Mccarthy | 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
    6%
  • Dock Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    63%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Mccarthy family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 646,000 census records available for the last name Mccarthy. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Mccarthy census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Mccarthy

Passenger Lists

There are 128,000 immigration records available for the last name Mccarthy. 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 Mccarthy immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 117,000 military records available for the last name Mccarthy. For the veterans among your Mccarthy ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Mccarthy military records

You've only scratched the surface of Mccarthy family history

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What is the average Mccarthy lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Mccarthy life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Mccarthy in 1940 was 30, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Mccarthy

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Mccarthy 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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