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Behan Family History

Behan Name Meaning

Irish (southern): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Beachain ‘descendant of Beachán’ a personal name from a diminutive of beach ‘bee’. Irish (southern): perhaps from Ó Beathain ‘descendant of Beathán’ a personal name based on a diminutive of beatha ‘life’. Compare Bean 5 and McBeth . Slovak (also Beháň): nickname derived from the noun beh ‘run’ or derived from behať ‘to run’.

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


Similar surnames: Bean, Bohan, Belan, Behn, Boran, Benn, Teahan, Deehan, Ban, Bern

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 Behan family from?

You can see how Behan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Behan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Behan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 59 Behan families living in Ontario. This was about 52% of all the recorded Behan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Behan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Behan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Behan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Behan. 28% of Behan men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Behan women worked as a Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Behan | 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
    28%
  • Labourer
    25%
  • Machinist
    11%
  • Agent
    11%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Behan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Behan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Behan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Behan

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Behan. 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 Behan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Behan. For the veterans among your Behan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Behan military records

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What is the average Behan lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Behan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Behan in 1946 was 50, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Behan

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