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Shanahan Family History

Shanahan Surname Meaning

Irish (Tipperary and Limerick): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Seanacháin or Mac Seanacháin ‘descendant of Seanachán’ a diminutive of Seanach a personal name from sean ‘ancient old’.

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


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Where is the Shanahan family from?

You can see how Shanahan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shanahan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shanahan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 57 Shanahan families living in London. This was about 33% of all the recorded Shanahan's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Shanahan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shanahan 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 Shanahan 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 Shanahan. 31% of Shanahan men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Shanahan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shanahan were Electrician and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Shanahan | 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
    19%
  • General Labourer Heavy Worker
    10%
  • Electrician
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
  • Cook
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%

What Shanahan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 64,000 census records available for the last name Shanahan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shanahan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shanahan

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Shanahan. 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 Shanahan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Shanahan. For the veterans among your Shanahan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shanahan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shanahan family history

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What is the average Shanahan lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Shanahan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Shanahan in 1940 was 27, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shanahan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shanahan 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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