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Mays Family History

Mays Name Meaning

English: variant of Mayes . German: variant of Mais . Dutch: from a short form of the personal name Thomas . In North America this surname may also be an altered form of the variant Maijs.

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


Similar surnames: Mayse, Mayes, May, Days, Mars, Mass, Maye, Kays, Bays, Bay

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 Mays family from?

You can see how Mays families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Mays family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Mays families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 52 Mays families living in Ontario. This was about 58% of all the recorded Mays's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Mays families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Mays surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Mays ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Domestic were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Mays. 30% of Mays men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Mays women worked as a Domestic. .

View Census Data for Mays | 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
    30%
  • Labourer
    15%
  • Carpenter
    12%
  • Journalier
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

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

What Mays family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 172,000 census records available for the last name Mays. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Mays census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Mays

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Mays. 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 Mays immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 32,000 military records available for the last name Mays. For the veterans among your Mays ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Mays military records

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What is the average Mays lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Mays life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Mays in 1943 was 40, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Mays

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