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Sullivan Family History

Sullivan Surname Meaning

Irish (Cork and Kerry): shortened form of O'Sullivan.

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


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Where is the Sullivan family from?

You can see how Sullivan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sullivan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sullivan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 240 Sullivan families living in New York. This was about 22% of all the recorded Sullivan's in USA. New York had the highest population of Sullivan families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sullivan 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 Sullivan ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Sullivan. 12% of Sullivan men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Sullivan women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sullivan were Clerk and Maid.

View Census Data for Sullivan | 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
    12%
  • Farmer
    8%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    7%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Maid
    4%

What Sullivan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Sullivan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sullivan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Sullivan

Passenger Lists

There are 303,000 immigration records available for the last name Sullivan. 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 Sullivan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 288,000 military records available for the last name Sullivan. For the veterans among your Sullivan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sullivan military records

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