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

Foy Family History

Foy Name Meaning

Irish: variant of Fahey . Irish: variant of Fee . French: from the medieval female personal name Foy which is from Old French foi (from Latin fides) ‘faith’. French: habitational name from (La) Foy the name of several places in various parts of France. American French: altered form of Faille 1 itself an altered form of French Faye .

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


Similar surnames: Fay, Roy, Loy, Toy, Fey, Goy, Fox, Hoy, Moy, Joy

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 Foy family from?

You can see how Foy families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Foy family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Foy families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 167 Foy families living in Ontario. This was about 50% of all the recorded Foy's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Foy families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Foy surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Foy ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Foy. 40% of Foy men worked as a Farmer and 30% of Foy women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Foy were Labourer and Farmers Wife. .

View Census Data for Foy | 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
    40%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Clerk
    8%
  • Labourer
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    30%
  • Student
    18%
  • Stenographer
    18%
  • Farmers Wife
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Foy family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 102,000 census records available for the last name Foy. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Foy census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Foy

Passenger Lists

There are 16,000 immigration records available for the last name Foy. 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 Foy immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Foy. For the veterans among your Foy ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Foy military records

You've only scratched the surface of Foy family history

Discover More

What is the average Foy lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Foy life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Foy in 1942 was 29, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Foy

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Foy family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Foy last name

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