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Kearney Family History

Kearney Name Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Catharnaigh ‘descendant of Catharnach’ a personal name meaning ‘warlike’. Alternatively it may be from Ó Cearnaigh or Mac Cearnaigh (from cearnach ‘victorious’) or from Ó Ceithearnaigh ‘descendant of Ceithearnach’ a personal name meaning ‘foot soldier’.

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


Similar surnames: Carney, Heagney, Keane, Harney, Kearns, Heaney, Karney, Keary, Keahey

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Kearney family from?

You can see how Kearney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kearney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kearney families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 120 Kearney families living in Ontario. This was about 48% of all the recorded Kearney's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Kearney families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kearney surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Kearney ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Kearney. 49% of Kearney men worked as a Farmer and 40% of Kearney women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kearney were Laborer and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Kearney | 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
    49%
  • Labourer
    11%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Laborer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    40%
  • Stenographer
    18%
  • Clerk
    14%
  • Teacher
    14%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Kearney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 145,000 census records available for the last name Kearney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kearney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Kearney

Passenger Lists

There are 49,000 immigration records available for the last name Kearney. 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 Kearney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 29,000 military records available for the last name Kearney. For the veterans among your Kearney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kearney military records

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What is the average Kearney lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Kearney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Kearney in 1944 was 27, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kearney

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