History of your Surname
Get access to Canningham family records.Start a free trial

Canningham Family History

Canningham Name Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Cunningham, Winningham, Landingham, Laningham, Allingham, Nanninga

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Canningham family from?

You can see how Canningham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Canningham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Canningham families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1911 there were 116 Canningham families living in Ontario. This was about 42% of all the recorded Canningham's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Canningham families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Canningham surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Canningham ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Canningham. 100% of Canningham men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Canningham | 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
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Canningham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Canningham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Canningham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Canningham

Passenger Lists

There are 642 immigration records available for the last name Canningham. 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 Canningham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Canningham. For the veterans among your Canningham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Canningham military records

You've only scratched the surface of Canningham family history

Discover More

What is the average Canningham lifespan?

Average Canningham life expectancy in 1967 was 73 years. This was higher than the general public life expectancy which was 72.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Canningham

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Canningham family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Canningham last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial