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Origins of the Cunningham surname

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What does the name Cunningham mean?

The origin of the Cunningham surname is most often Scottish. It's chiefly a geographic surname and refers to those who have ancestors that originate in the area of Cunningham, North Ayrshire. This is a district of a number of parishes and the name has since spread across Scotland and to the rest of Britain.

Alternative variations of the name Cunningham

Cunningham, Cuningham, Cuninghame, Cunninghame, Cummingham

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Where do most Cunninghams live?

In 1921, most Cunninghams lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Cunninghams

How common is your surname?

316th most common surname in the UK

We have 112,000 records for the Cunningham surname. The oldest one dates back to 1100.

Who were Cunninghams most likely to marry?

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Cunninghams.

What are the most common Cunningham first names?

  • John
  • James
  • Mary
  • Margaret

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Cunningham family members

Common jobs for Cunninghams

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Cunninghams in 1921
Dressmaker

519

Domestic Servant

388

Housekeeper

324

House Keeper

247

Charwoman

221

Common Male occupations for Cunninghams in 1921
Coal Miner

1,034

General Labourer

566

Joiner

304

Tailor

297

Farm Hands

281

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 170,000 family trees with the Cunningham surname

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