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Canavan Family History

Canavan Name Meaning

Irish (Galway and Mayo; Wexford): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceanndubháin ‘descendant of Ceanndubhán’ a byname meaning ‘little black-headed one’ from ceann ‘head’ + dubh ‘black’ + the diminutive suffix -án.

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


Similar surnames: Hanavan, Hanahan, Banahan, Cavan, Carnahan, Manahan, Conahan, Cannan

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Where is the Canavan family from?

You can see how Canavan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Canavan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Canavan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 18 Canavan families living in Ontario. This was about 24% of all the recorded Canavan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Canavan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Canavan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Canavan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Labourer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Canavan. 38% of Canavan men worked as a Labourer and 100% of Canavan women worked as a Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Canavan | 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

  • Labourer
    38%
  • Farmer
    38%
  • Accountant
    25%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

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

What Canavan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 26,000 census records available for the last name Canavan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Canavan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Canavan

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Canavan. 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 Canavan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Canavan. For the veterans among your Canavan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Canavan military records

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What is the average Canavan lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Canavan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Canavan in 1946 was 39, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Canavan

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