Sullivan Family History, Genealogy & Ancestry

The Sullivan Family

20,205 Sullivan records from public death, burial and census records and the old county histories, in all 12 Midwestern states we cover. Every name is a real person in the public record, and we follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

20,205Records in our database

1847Earliest birth

4Documented families

4Biographies

See the Sullivan family trees →1,067 Sullivan families pieced together from public birth and death records, county histories and old newspapers

At a glance

20,205 Sullivan records in our database

From public death, burial and census records across 12 Midwestern states. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how). Tap a state or a decade to narrow the list of ancestors below.

Where

fewer more

When they were born

Most records: Illinois (3,811 of 20,205)
Most common birth decade: the 1910s
Earliest birth in the database: Alexander Sullivan, born 1847, Illinois

Most common first names

John1,095 Mary703 James670 William540 Robert378 Thomas358 Margaret330 Helen273 Daniel270 Joseph267 Edward257 Charles255

Documented families

Sullivan families we have traced

Written from county histories and public records, every fact cited. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

Family histories, generation by generation (1)

The Sullivan family of Adair CountyIowaStarts: Henry S. Sullivan and Sarah (Hunter) SullivanMost recent: Oscar J. Sullivan (b. 1879)

Family records from county histories (3)

John SullivanLee County, IowaStarts: John Sullivan, from IrelandMost recent: Charles H. Sullivan Joseph Sullivan b. 1860Wayne County, OhioStarts: Sullivan & Helen (Driscoll) SullivanMost recent: Florence E. Sullivan, Mary E. Sullivan, Eleanor D. Sullivan Charles H. Sullivan b. 1878Lee County, IowaStarts: John Sullivan & Celistie GreyMost recent: Charles Kenneth Sullivan

The earliest Sullivans in the county histories

Samuel SullivanBorn 1814Miami County, Ohio Elihu SullivanBorn 1815, Jefferson countyChild of Adam SullivanCarroll County, Missouri James M. SullivanBorn 1824, Whitley CountyChild of Joseph SullivanAppanoose County, Iowa W. J. SullivanBorn 1824Champaign County, Ohio Patrick SullivanBorn 1833Child of John Sullivan and Ellen (Healy) SullivanLinn County, Iowa Jahu B. SullivanBorn 1836Adair County, Iowa

Family trees from the public record

1,067 Sullivan families: parents, brothers and sistersFrom state birth and death indexes, county histories and old newspapers, most recent deaths first

In old newspapers

71 Sullivan death notices, 1837 to 1925Obituaries and funeral notices from Midwest papers scanned by the Library of Congress, with the original pages

In the county history family index

45 Sullivan people in 34 countiesBirth years, birthplaces, parents and spouses, from the old county histories

Biographies from the county histories (4)

William I. SullivanBorn 1860 · Adair County, Iowa Isaac N. SullivanBorn 1862 · Adair County, Iowa P. P. SullivanBorn 1868 · Adair County, Iowa Oscar J. SullivanBorn 1879 · Adair County, Iowa

Done-for-you research

Trace your documented Sullivan family

Found your Sullivan? We trace your family back as far as the records go and write it up as a family history book, every source cited. No DNA test and no sales call: we take a free first look, then email you a plan and a flat price before you spend a dollar.

Common questions

Sullivan genealogy: FAQ

Where were Sullivan ancestors recorded?

Our database holds 20,205 Sullivan records from all 12 Midwestern states. The most are in Illinois (3,811), then Missouri (3,800) and Ohio (2,876).

How far back does the Sullivan family tree go?

The earliest Sullivan birth in our database is 1847: Alexander Sullivan, Illinois. We have pieced together 1,067 Sullivan family trees from public birth and death records.

Are living Sullivan family members listed here?

Not knowingly. We follow set rules to leave living people out of our public pages. If you find a living relative listed here, email us and we will take the record down.

Is this my Sullivan family?

Maybe. Many people share a name, so treat any match as a possible match until the dates and places line up with what you know about your family. Every person here links to their own page with the details, and we can trace your line for you.