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Sharkey Family History

Sharkey Surname Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Searcaigh ‘descendant of Searcach’ a byname meaning ‘beloved’. Americanized form of French or French Canadian Chartier ‘carter’.

Alteration of the French ending -tier to English -key is typical for American French surnames.

Compare Shorkey.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Sharkey family from?

You can see how Sharkey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sharkey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sharkey families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 207 Sharkey families living in Lancashire. This was about 36% of all the recorded Sharkey's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Sharkey families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sharkey 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 Sharkey 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 Sharkey. 32% of Sharkey men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Sharkey women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sharkey were Incapacitated and Waitress.

View Census Data for Sharkey | 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
    32%
  • Dock Labourer
    11%
  • Builders Labourer
    9%
  • Incapacitated
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Housekeeper
    3%
  • Waitress
    3%

What Sharkey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 59,000 census records available for the last name Sharkey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sharkey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Sharkey

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Sharkey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Sharkey family history

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What is the average Sharkey lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Sharkey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Sharkey in 1945 was 48, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sharkey

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Sharkey 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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