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Gaynor Family History

Gaynor Name Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mag Fhionnbhairr ‘son of Fionnbharr’ a personal name composed of fionn ‘fair white’ + barr ‘top head’. The Mag Fhionnbhairr took their name from Fionnbharr Ó Géaradháin who came to prominence during the 12th century in County Longford. English (northern): altered form of Gainer under the influence of the Irish name. Welsh: from the female personal name Gaenor a shortened form of Welsh Gwenhwyfar a compound of gwen ‘fair white’ + (g)wyf ‘smooth yielding’ + fawr ‘large’. This was the name of King Arthur's queen Guinevere.

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


Similar surnames: Gannon, Maynor, Garner, Rayner, Gaymon, Gayton, Mayor, Gabor, Naylor

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Gaynor family from?

You can see how Gaynor families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gaynor family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gaynor families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 146 Gaynor families living in Lancashire. This was about 42% of all the recorded Gaynor's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Gaynor families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gaynor surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gaynor 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 Gaynor. 53% of Gaynor men worked as a General Labourer and 78% of Gaynor women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gaynor were Carpenter and Unpaid Domestic Dut. .

View Census Data for Gaynor | 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
    53%
  • Hairdresser
    16%
  • Gardener
    11%
  • Carpenter
    11%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gaynor family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 37,000 census records available for the last name Gaynor. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gaynor census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gaynor

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Gaynor. 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 Gaynor immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Gaynor. For the veterans among your Gaynor ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Gaynor lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Gaynor life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Gaynor in 1948 was 41, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gaynor

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