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Dempsey Family History

Dempsey Name Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Díomasaigh ‘descendant of Díomasach’ a byname meaning ‘proud haughty’ from díomas ‘pride’. The name was occasionally Anglicized as Proudman (see Proud ). Compare McGimsey .

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


Similar surnames: Dempster, Delaney, Devaney, Kempster, Demus, Kempter, Rempe, Lepley

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 Dempsey family from?

You can see how Dempsey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dempsey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dempsey families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 29 Dempsey families living in New York. This was about 18% of all the recorded Dempsey's in USA. New York had the highest population of Dempsey families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dempsey surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Dempsey ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Dempsey. 14% of Dempsey men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Dempsey women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dempsey were Clerk and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Dempsey | 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
    14%
  • Farmer
    9%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    7%
  • Stenographer
    7%
  • Clerk
    7%
  • Housewife
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Dempsey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 170,000 census records available for the last name Dempsey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dempsey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Dempsey

Passenger Lists

There are 28,000 immigration records available for the last name Dempsey. 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 Dempsey immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 35,000 military records available for the last name Dempsey. For the veterans among your Dempsey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Dempsey lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Dempsey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Dempsey in 1940 was 51, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dempsey

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