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Maher Family History

Maher Surname Meaning

Irish: from Ó Meachair ‘descendant of Meachar’ a personal name meaning ‘kindly noble majestic’. Slovenian: nickname from maher a colloquial word of Middle High German origin (from macher ‘doer’).

Compare German Macher Slovenian: possibly also from a Slovenized form of the Old German personal name Macher.

German: occupational name for a reaper or mower (see Mader).

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Maher family from?

You can see how Maher families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Maher family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Maher families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 258 Maher families living in Quebec. This was about 58% of all the recorded Maher's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Maher families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Maher 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 Maher ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Servant were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Maher. 33% of Maher men worked as a Farmer and 24% of Maher women worked as a Servant. Some less common occupations for Americans named Maher were Labourer and Domestique.

View Census Data for Maher | 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
    33%
  • Journalier
    16%
  • Cultivateur
    13%
  • Labourer
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Servant
    24%
  • Clerk
    18%
  • Mnagre
    12%
  • Domestique
    12%

What Maher family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 222,000 census records available for the last name Maher. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Maher census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Maher

Passenger Lists

There are 41,000 immigration records available for the last name Maher. 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 Maher immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 33,000 military records available for the last name Maher. For the veterans among your Maher ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Maher military records

You've only scratched the surface of Maher family history

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What is the average Maher lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Maher life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Maher in 1942 was 44, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Maher

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Maher 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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