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

Sly Family History

Sly Name Meaning

English (Wiltshire and Gloucestershire): nickname from Middle English sle(i)gh ‘sly’ (Old Norse slœgr) which in the 12th–13th centuries developed the sense ‘skillful expert’ but also ‘crafty guileful underhand’. In the North this word became slee while in the South and Midlands it became sligh sly.

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


Similar surnames: Bly, Say, Slay, Ely, Day, Bay, Hoy, Way, Slye, Fey

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 Sly family from?

You can see how Sly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sly families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 81 Sly families living in Ontario. This was about 51% of all the recorded Sly's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Sly families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sly surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Sly ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Sly. 61% of Sly men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Sly women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sly were Blacksmith and Domestic. .

View Census Data for Sly | 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
    61%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Farmers Son
    6%
  • Blacksmith
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    34%
  • Worker
    34%
  • Income
    17%
  • Domestic
    17%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Sly family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 47,000 census records available for the last name Sly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Sly

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Sly. 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 Sly immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Sly military records

You've only scratched the surface of Sly family history

Discover More

What is the average Sly lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Sly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Sly in 1945 was 23, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sly

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Sly family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Sly last name

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