Irish (Cork): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Geigheannaigh or Mac Géibheannaigh ‘son (or descendant) of Géibheannach’ a byname meaning ‘fettered’.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022
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Where is the Gainey family from?
You can see how Gainey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gainey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gainey families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 61 Gainey families living in Wiltshire. This was about 33% of all the recorded Gainey's in United Kingdom. Wiltshire had the highest population of Gainey families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gainey surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Gainey. 34% of Gainey men worked as a General Labourer and 85% of Gainey women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gainey were Dock Labourer and Private Means. .
Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Gainey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Gainey in 1950 was 31, and 73 in 2004.