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Geary Family History

Geary Name Meaning

Irish (Cork): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Gadhra ‘descendant of Gadhra’ (see O'Gara ). Irish: alternatively possibly a shortened form of McGeary . English: from the Old French personal name Geri ancient Germanic Geric from gēr ‘spear’ + rīc ‘power(ful)’. English: nickname for a wayward or capricious person from Middle English ge(a)ry ‘fickle changeable passionate’. See Gear . Possibly an altered form of Swiss German Gehri or Gehry variants of Gehr .

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


Similar surnames: Gear, Merry, Berry, Keary, Gary, Gerry, Weary, Geer, Terry, Neary

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 Geary family from?

You can see how Geary families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Geary family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Geary families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 14 Geary families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 40% of all the recorded Geary's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Geary families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Geary surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Geary ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Geary. 15% of Geary men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Geary women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Geary were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Geary | 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 1940

  • Laborer
    15%
  • Farmer
    8%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    8%
  • Stenographer
    8%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Geary family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 125,000 census records available for the last name Geary. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Geary census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Geary

Passenger Lists

There are 15,000 immigration records available for the last name Geary. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Geary immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Geary. For the veterans among your Geary ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Geary military records

You've only scratched the surface of Geary family history

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What is the average Geary lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Geary life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Geary in 1942 was 46, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Geary

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