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Blay Family History

Blay Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): from Old French bloi ‘blond’ or a habitational name from a placename perhaps by metanalysis from Blois in Loir-et-Cher, France. English: perhaps a nickname from Middle English blæth ‘bare, destitute, wretched’.

Catalan: variant of Blasi. This surname is also found in southern France (Pyrénées-Orientales).

French: habitational name from a place so named in Calvados. Americanized form of French Blais.

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


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Where is the Blay family from?

You can see how Blay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Blay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Blay families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 19 Blay families living in Ontario. This was about 35% of all the recorded Blay's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Blay families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Blay surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Blay ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Bookkeeper was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Blay. 34% of Blay men worked as a Bookkeeper.

View Census Data for Blay | 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

  • Bookkeeper
    34%
  • Farmer
    34%
  • Labourer
    34%

What Blay family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 23,000 census records available for the last name Blay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Blay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Blay

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Blay. 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 Blay immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Blay military records

You've only scratched the surface of Blay family history

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What is the average Blay lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Blay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Blay in 1952 was 46, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Blay

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Blay ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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