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Eley Family History

Eley Name Meaning

English: variant of Ely . German: from a vernacular form of the medieval personal name Eligius (see Eligio ) a Christian saint's name.

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


Similar surnames: Kley, Ley, Emley, Iley, Ealey, Exley, Epley, Ely, Elsey, Eleby

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 Eley family from?

You can see how Eley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Eley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Eley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 47 Eley families living in Ontario. This was about 60% of all the recorded Eley's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Eley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Eley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Eley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Eley. 43% of Eley men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Eley women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Eley were Clerk and Stitcher. .

View Census Data for Eley | 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
    43%
  • Labourer
    29%
  • Manager
    10%
  • Clerk
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    50%
  • Stitcher
    50%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Eley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 56,000 census records available for the last name Eley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Eley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Eley

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Eley. 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 Eley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Eley. For the veterans among your Eley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Eley military records

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What is the average Eley lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Eley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Eley in 1943 was 40, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Eley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Eley family tree

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