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Raftery Family History

Raftery Surname Meaning

Irish (Galway and Roscommon): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Reachtabhra ‘descendant of Reachtabhra’ from reacht ‘decree’.

Compare Rafter.

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


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Where is the Raftery family from?

You can see how Raftery families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Raftery family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Raftery families were found in USA in 1920, and United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 69 Raftery families living in Lancashire. This was about 30% of all the recorded Raftery's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Raftery families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Raftery 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 Raftery ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Raftery. 50% of Raftery men worked as a Builders Labourer and 86% of Raftery women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Raftery were Commercial Clerk and Unpaid House Duties.

View Census Data for Raftery | 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

  • Builders Labourer
    50%
  • General Labourer
    30%
  • Commercial Clerk
    20%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    86%
  • Domestic Servant
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic Du
    3%
  • Unpaid House Duties
    3%

What Raftery family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Raftery. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Raftery census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Raftery

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Raftery. 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 Raftery immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Raftery. For the veterans among your Raftery ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Raftery military records

You've only scratched the surface of Raftery family history

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What is the average Raftery lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Raftery life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Raftery in 1950 was 50, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Raftery

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Raftery 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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