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Gaff Family History

Gaff Surname Meaning

English: metonymic occupational name for someone who made or used iron hooks or crooks from Old French gaffe ‘iron hook’.

Irish (Offaly): from Mag Eochadha see McGough.

German: from a derivative of the stem geb- (see Gaffke).

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


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Where is the Gaff family from?

You can see how Gaff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gaff family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gaff families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 8 Gaff families living in Quebec. This was about 30% of all the recorded Gaff's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Gaff families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gaff surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Gaff ancestors do for a living?

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

View Census Data for Gaff | 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%

What Gaff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Gaff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gaff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Gaff

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Gaff. 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 Gaff immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Gaff military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gaff family history

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What is the average Gaff lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Gaff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1983. The average life expectancy for Gaff in 1956 was 57, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gaff

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gaff ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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