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Hennessy Family History

Hennessy Name Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hAonghusa ‘descendant of Aonghus’; see Angus and compare McGinnis .

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


Similar surnames: Fennessy, Heaney, Hennelly, Kennedy, Hennessey, Hennesy, Fennelly

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Hennessy family from?

You can see how Hennessy families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hennessy family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hennessy families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 73 Hennessy families living in Ontario. This was about 51% of all the recorded Hennessy's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Hennessy families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hennessy surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Hennessy ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Hennessy. 37% of Hennessy men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Hennessy women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hennessy were Lumberman and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Hennessy | 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
    37%
  • Clerk
    11%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Lumberman
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Clerk
    34%
  • Stenographer
    34%
  • Nurse
    17%
  • Housekeeper
    17%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Hennessy family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 90,000 census records available for the last name Hennessy. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hennessy census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Hennessy

Passenger Lists

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Hennessy. 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 Hennessy immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 14,000 military records available for the last name Hennessy. For the veterans among your Hennessy ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hennessy military records

You've only scratched the surface of Hennessy family history

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What is the average Hennessy lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Hennessy life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Hennessy in 1941 was 57, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hennessy

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