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

Kirk Family History

Kirk Name Meaning

Scottish English and Danish: from Middle English Danish kirk ‘church’ (Old Norse kirkja) a topographic name for someone who lived near a church. This name has also been established in Ireland since the 16th century or earlier.

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


Similar surnames: Birk, Wire, Kirby, Turk, Bick, Kick, Zink, Kirch, Bird, Kirn

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 Kirk family from?

You can see how Kirk families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kirk family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kirk families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 572 Kirk families living in Ontario. This was about 49% of all the recorded Kirk's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Kirk families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kirk surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Kirk ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Kirk. 38% of Kirk men worked as a Farmer and 17% of Kirk women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kirk were Carpenter and Servant. .

View Census Data for Kirk | 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
    38%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Labourer
    7%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    17%
  • Stenographer
    14%
  • Teacher
    11%
  • Servant
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Kirk family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 471,000 census records available for the last name Kirk. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kirk census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Kirk

Passenger Lists

There are 43,000 immigration records available for the last name Kirk. 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 Kirk immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 66,000 military records available for the last name Kirk. For the veterans among your Kirk ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kirk military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kirk family history

Discover More

What is the average Kirk lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Kirk life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Kirk in 1942 was 54, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kirk

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Kirk family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Kirk last name

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