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Leigh Family History

Leigh Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of numerous places (in at least sixteen counties but especially Leigh in Lancashire) named either with the nominative case of Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’ (see Lee ) or with lēage a late dative form of this word (see Lye ). Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 李 based on its Cantonese pronunciation. See Li

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


Similar surnames: Sleigh, Haigh, Raleigh, Leach, Leite, High, Leng, Lein, Bligh, Leier

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Leigh family from?

You can see how Leigh families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Leigh family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Leigh families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 233 Leigh families living in Ontario. This was about 60% of all the recorded Leigh's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Leigh families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Leigh surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Leigh ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Leigh. 39% of Leigh men worked as a Farmer and 39% of Leigh women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Leigh were Salesman and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Leigh | 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
    39%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Accountant
    6%
  • Salesman
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    39%
  • Clerk
    20%
  • Housekeeper
    12%
  • Housewife
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Leigh family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 158,000 census records available for the last name Leigh. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Leigh census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Leigh

Passenger Lists

There are 23,000 immigration records available for the last name Leigh. 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 Leigh immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 18,000 military records available for the last name Leigh. For the veterans among your Leigh ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Leigh military records

You've only scratched the surface of Leigh family history

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What is the average Leigh lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Leigh life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Leigh in 1948 was 30, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Leigh

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