Daily AncestorPublican
A publican kept a public house, the British and Irish name for a pub, a tavern that sold drink and often food and lodging.
The word is common in British and Irish records, so it often turns up in the papers of immigrants or in records from Canada and other Commonwealth countries. In the United States the same person might be called a tavern keeper or saloon keeper.
In older Bible English a publican was a tax collector, a completely different meaning that you will not meet in an occupation column.
As seen in a recordIrish and British census or civil records
Michael Byrne, 47, Publican, Dublin
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Publican." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/publican. Last checked 2026-10-01.