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

Fancy Family History

Fancy Name Meaning

English (Dorset): probably a nickname from Middle English fantasie in one of its senses e.g. ‘phantom ghost desire caprice whim’. This name is frequent in Nova Scotia.

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


Similar surnames: Candy, Vance, Acy, Franca, Rance, Canby, Face, Ranch, Francy, Fan

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 Fancy family from?

You can see how Fancy families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fancy family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fancy families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 149 Fancy families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 88% of all the recorded Fancy's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Fancy families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fancy surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Fancy ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Fancy. 65% of Fancy men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Fancy women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fancy were Laborer and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Fancy | 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
    65%
  • Labourer
    13%
  • Fisherman
    7%
  • Laborer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    34%
  • Farmer
    34%
  • Clerk
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Fancy family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Fancy. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fancy census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Fancy

Passenger Lists

There are 904 immigration records available for the last name Fancy. 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 Fancy immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Fancy. For the veterans among your Fancy ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fancy military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fancy family history

Discover More

What is the average Fancy lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2003, in the United States, Fancy life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1994, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Fancy in 1962 was 68, and 72 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fancy

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Fancy family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Fancy last name

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