This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Cunningham family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Cunningham Family History

Cunningham Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from the province of Cunningham in Ayrshire first recorded in 1153 in the form Cunegan, a Celtic name of uncertain origin. The spellings in -ham first recorded in 1180 and in -ynghame first recorded in 1227 represent a gradual assimilation to the English placename element -ingham.

Irish: surname adopted from Gaelic Ó Cuinneagáin ‘descendant of Cuinneagán’, a personal name from a double diminutive of the Old Irish personal name Conn meaning ‘leader, chief’. This name is also adopted for Ó Connacháin, a variant of Ó Connagáin ‘descendant of Connagán’ from a diminutive of the personal name Conn.

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


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Cunningham family from?

You can see how Cunningham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cunningham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cunningham families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 190 Cunningham families living in Ohio. This was about 12% of all the recorded Cunningham's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Cunningham families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cunningham surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Cunningham ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Cunningham. 15% of Cunningham men worked as a Laborer and 6% of Cunningham women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cunningham were Clerk and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Cunningham | 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
    13%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Clerk
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    6%
  • Maid
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    5%

What Cunningham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 853,000 census records available for the last name Cunningham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cunningham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Cunningham

Passenger Lists

There are 145,000 immigration records available for the last name Cunningham. 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 Cunningham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 154,000 military records available for the last name Cunningham. For the veterans among your Cunningham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cunningham military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cunningham family history

Discover More

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Cunningham family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial