History of your Surname
Get access to Fairley family records.Start a free trial

Fairley Family History

Fairley Name Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from any of several places called from Old English fæger ‘beautiful’ or fearn ‘fern’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. Primarily from Fairlie in Ayrshire but perhaps occasionally from other places similarly named such as Fairley (Northumberland) Fairlee in Newport (Isle of Wight) and Fairliehope (Linton Peeblesshire). A Scots family once known as de Ros adopted the name Fairlie when granted lands at Fairlie Ayrshire by Robert the Bruce. Irish: variant of Farrelly from Ó Fearghaile.

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


Similar surnames: Farley, Fairey, Barley, Fadley, Varley, Darley, Gailey, Fawley

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Fairley family from?

You can see how Fairley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fairley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fairley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 53 Fairley families living in New Brunswick. This was about 39% of all the recorded Fairley's in Canada. New Brunswick had the highest population of Fairley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fairley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Fairley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Fairley. 31% of Fairley men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Fairley women worked as a Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Fairley | 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
    31%
  • Labourer
    19%
  • Miner
    10%
  • Laborer
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

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

What Fairley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 34,000 census records available for the last name Fairley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fairley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Fairley

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Fairley. 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 Fairley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Fairley. For the veterans among your Fairley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fairley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fairley family history

Discover More

What is the average Fairley lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Fairley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Fairley in 1948 was 34, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fairley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Fairley family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Fairley last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial