Bolger Family History

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Bolger Name Meaning

English: occupational name for a leather worker, from Middle English, Old French boulgier, an agent derivative of Old French boulge ‘leather bag’, ‘wallet’ (Middle English bulge). Irish (South Leinster): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Bolguidhir ‘descendant of Bolgodhar’, a personal name composed of the elements bolg ‘belly’ + odhar ‘yellow’, ‘sallow’. Perhaps an altered spelling of German Bohlinger or Bolinger.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Bolter, Boger, Belger, Roger, Boller, Booker, Burger, Bolmer, Bogen

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Bolger Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Bolger name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Bolger. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • Ireland & Scotland

    46%

  • England & Wales

    29%

  • Germanic Europe

    5%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    5%

  • Norway

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Bolger Family Origin

Where is the Bolger family from?

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You can see how Bolger families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bolger family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bolger families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 170 Bolger families living in Lancashire. This was about 54% of all the recorded Bolger's in the UK. Lancashire had the highest population of Bolger families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bolger surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Bolger

Bolger Family Occupations

What did your Bolger ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, a less common occupation for the Bolger family was Shoemaker. The most common Bolger occupation in the UK was Boot & Shoe Maker. 6% of Bolger's were Boot & Shoe Makers. Boot & Shoe Maker, Labourer and Cooper were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Bolger.

View Census data for Bolger | Data not to scale

  • Boot & Shoe Maker

    6%

  • Labourer

    6%

  • Cooper

    4%

  • Shoemaker

    4%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Bolger ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Bolger Historical Records

What Bolger family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 36,000 census records available for the last name Bolger. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bolger census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1891 UK census records for Bolger

Passenger List

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Bolger. 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 Bolger immigration records

Draft Card

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Bolger. For the veterans among your Bolger ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bolger military records

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Bolger Life Expectancy

What is the average Bolger lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Bolger life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Bolger in 1942 was 48, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bolger

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bolger 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.

Famous Bolger Family Ancestors

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