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Ireland Family History

Ireland Name Meaning

English and Scottish: ethnic name for someone from Ireland, Old English Iraland. The country gets its name from the genitive case of Old English Iras ‘Irishmen’ + land ‘land’. The stem Ir- is taken from the Celtic name for Ireland, Èriu, earlier Everiu. The surname is especially common in Liverpool, England, which has a large Irish population.

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


Similar surnames: Breland, Kirkland, Ryland, Eland, Moreland, Freeland, Harland, Irelan

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 Ireland family from?

You can see how Ireland families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ireland family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ireland families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,556 Ireland families living in Lancashire. This was about 25% of all the recorded Ireland's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Ireland families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ireland 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 Ireland ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Ireland. 8% of Ireland men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Ireland women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ireland were Builders Labourer and Incapacitated. .

View Census Data for Ireland | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Farmer
    4%
  • Retired
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Ireland family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 232,000 census records available for the last name Ireland. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ireland census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Ireland

Passenger Lists

There are 30,000 immigration records available for the last name Ireland. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Ireland immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 36,000 military records available for the last name Ireland. For the veterans among your Ireland ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ireland military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ireland family history

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What is the average Ireland lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Ireland life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Ireland in 1940 was 41, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ireland

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