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Desmond Family History

Desmond Name Meaning

Irish (Cork): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Deasmhumhnaigh ‘descendant of the man from southern Munster’ from deas ‘south’ + Mumhain ‘Munster’ an ancient Irish kingdom named for Mumhu one of its early kings. The surname Desmond has passed into common use as a personal name not only in Ireland.

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


Similar surnames: Diamond, Dearmond, Redmond, Dermody, Esmond, Deshong, Osmond

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Desmond family from?

You can see how Desmond families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Desmond family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Desmond families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 64 Desmond families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 38% of all the recorded Desmond's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Desmond families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Desmond surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Desmond ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Desmond. 24% of Desmond men worked as a Farmer and 29% of Desmond women worked as a Farmer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Desmond were Carpenter and Bookkeeper. .

View Census Data for Desmond | 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
    24%
  • Labourer
    22%
  • Machinist
    12%
  • Carpenter
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    29%
  • Domestic
    22%
  • Housekeeper
    22%
  • Bookkeeper
    15%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Desmond family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 72,000 census records available for the last name Desmond. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Desmond census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Desmond

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Desmond. 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 Desmond immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Desmond. For the veterans among your Desmond ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Desmond military records

You've only scratched the surface of Desmond family history

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What is the average Desmond lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Desmond life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Desmond in 1950 was 43, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Desmond

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