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Gaffney Family History

Gaffney Name Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Ó Gamhna ‘descendant of Gamhain’ a byname meaning ‘calf’. The English surname Caulfield was adopted in Ireland as a supposed equivalent. Irish: alternatively from Mag Fhachtna ‘son of Fachtna’ usually Anglicized as Gaffney in Longford. Possibly an altered form of Swiss German Gaffner a topographic name for a cottage dweller from dialect Gafene ‘large basket Alpine (dairy) hut’.

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


Similar surnames: Gaffner, Gaffey, Gainey, Duffney, Carney, Laffey, Nanney, Gosney

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Where is the Gaffney family from?

You can see how Gaffney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gaffney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gaffney families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 85 Gaffney families living in Ontario. This was about 69% of all the recorded Gaffney's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Gaffney families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gaffney 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 Gaffney ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Gaffney. 39% of Gaffney men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Gaffney women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gaffney were Engineer and Retired. .

View Census Data for Gaffney | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    39%
  • Labourer
    15%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Engineer
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    50%
  • Domestic
    25%
  • Retired
    25%
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What Gaffney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 86,000 census records available for the last name Gaffney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gaffney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Gaffney

Passenger Lists

There are 18,000 immigration records available for the last name Gaffney. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gaffney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Gaffney. For the veterans among your Gaffney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Gaffney lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Gaffney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Gaffney in 1940 was 39, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gaffney

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