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Reay Family History

Reay Name Meaning

English (Durham and Northumberland): variant of Rea .

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


Similar surnames: Rea, Ray, Keay, Peay, Ready, Reap, Rey, Reau, Reamy, Blay

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 Reay family from?

You can see how Reay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Reay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Reay families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 59 Reay families living in Ontario. This was about 43% of all the recorded Reay's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Reay families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Reay surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Reay ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Student were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Reay. 67% of Reay men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Reay women worked as a Student. .

View Census Data for Reay | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    67%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Bookkeeper
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Student
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Reay family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 40,000 census records available for the last name Reay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Reay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Reay

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Reay. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Reay immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Reay. For the veterans among your Reay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Reay military records

You've only scratched the surface of Reay family history

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What is the average Reay lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Reay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Reay in 1941 was 38, and 85 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Reay

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