Gaffney Family History

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Gaffney Name Meaning

Irish: reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Gamhna ‘descendant of Gamhain’, a byname meaning ‘calf’. On occasion the English surname Caulfield was adopted as equivalent. Possibly an altered spelling of Swiss German Gaf(f)ner, a topographic name for a cottage dweller, from dialect Gafene ‘large basket’, ‘Alpine (dairy) hut’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Gaffner, Gaffey, Gainey, Duffney, Carney, Laffey, Nanney, Gosney

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Gaffney Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Gaffney name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Gaffney. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • Ireland & Scotland

    42%

  • England & Wales

    29%

  • Germanic Europe

    5%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    4%

  • Italy

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Gaffney Family Origin

Where is the Gaffney family from?

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You can see how Gaffney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gaffney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gaffney families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 85 Gaffney families living in Ontario. This was about 69% of all the recorded Gaffney's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Gaffney families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gaffney surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Gaffney

Gaffney Family Occupations

What did your Gaffney ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, a less common occupation for the Gaffney family was Labourer. Farmer, Servant and School were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Gaffney. The most common Gaffney occupation in Canada was Farmer. 29% of Gaffney's were Farmers.

View Census data for Gaffney | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    29%

  • Servant

    13%

  • School

    10%

  • Labourer

    6%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Gaffney ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Gaffney Historical Records

What Gaffney family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 86,000 census records available for the last name Gaffney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gaffneycensus records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1881 Canadian census records for Gaffney

Passenger List

There are 18,000 immigration records available for the last name Gaffney. 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 Gaffney immigration records

Draft Card

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Gaffney. For the veterans among your Gaffney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gaffney military records

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Gaffney Life Expectancy

What is the average Gaffney lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Gaffney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Gaffney in 1940 was 39, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gaffney

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gaffney 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.

Famous Gaffney Family Ancestors

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