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Guinness Family History

Guinness Name Meaning

Irish: from Mag Aonghusa or Mag Aonghuis see McGuinness .

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


Similar surnames: Mcguinness, Inness, Gunnels, Furness, Gunnell, Gunner, Gaines

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 Guinness family from?

You can see how Guinness families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Guinness family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Guinness families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there was 1 Guinness family living in Florida Territory. This was about 50% of all the recorded Guinness's in USA. Florida Territory and 1 other state had the highest population of Guinness families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Guinness surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Guinness ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Clerk In Holy Orders and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Guinness. 60% of Guinness men worked as a Clerk In Holy Orders and 66% of Guinness women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Guinness were Banker and Unpaid Domestic. .

View Census Data for Guinness | 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.

England shown, United States data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Clerk In Holy Orders
    60%
  • Banker
    40%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Private Means
    30%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
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What Guinness family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Guinness. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Guinness census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Guinness

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Guinness. 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 Guinness immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Guinness. For the veterans among your Guinness ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Guinness military records

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What is the average Guinness lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2003, in the United States, Guinness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1976, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Guinness in 1963 was 68, and 77 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Guinness

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