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Tunney Family History

Tunney Name Meaning

Irish (Mayo Sligo and Donegal): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Tonnaigh ‘descendant of Tonnach’ a personal name meaning either ‘billowy’ (from tonn ‘wave’) or ‘shining’. English (Lancashire and Northumberland): from the Middle English personal name Tunne (Old Norse Tunni Tunne a nickname from tunna ‘barrel’).

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


Similar surnames: Tinney, Lunney, Torney, Turney, Guiney, Toney, Munley, Tenney, Tanney

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Tunney family from?

You can see how Tunney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tunney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Tunney families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 79 Tunney families living in Lancashire. This was about 31% of all the recorded Tunney's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Tunney families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tunney surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Tunney 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 Tunney. 36% of Tunney men worked as a General Labourer and 82% of Tunney women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tunney were Gen Labourer and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Tunney | 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
    36%
  • Builders Labourer
    18%
  • Incapacitated
    11%
  • Gen Labourer
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Housewife
    4%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Tunney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Tunney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tunney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Tunney

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Tunney. 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 Tunney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Tunney. For the veterans among your Tunney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tunney military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tunney family history

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What is the average Tunney lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Tunney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Tunney in 1951 was 50, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tunney

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