Bly Family History

Bly Surname Meaning

English (Norfolk and Suffolk): variant of Bligh. Americanized form of German Blei ‘lead’ or of its cognate Bley. Americanized and Flemish form of Dutch Blij ‘merry, gay, happy’ (see Blei). Compare Bley.

Swedish: of German origin (see 2 above) or a soldier's name. Americanized form of Norwegian Bleie: habitational name from a farmstead in Hardanger named Bleie from a river name from Old Norse bleikr ‘gray, pale’ + vin ‘meadow’.

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

Similar surnames: Bley, Bay, Ely, Hoy, Bey, Goy, Bolt, Fey, Ban, Boy

44K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
12K	Military Records
1K	Immigration Records
30K	Census and Voter Lists
81K	Member Trees

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Where is the Bly family from?

You can see how Bly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bly families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 21 Bly families living in Ontario. This was about 75% of all the recorded Bly's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Bly families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bly surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Bly

What did your Bly ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Bly.

View Census Data for Bly

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.

Farmer

78%

Labourer

23%

What Bly family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 30K census records available for the last name Bly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Bly

Passenger List

There are 1K immigration records available for the last name Bly. 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 Bly immigration records

Military Records

There are 12K military records available for the last name Bly. For the veterans among your Bly ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bly military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bly family history

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What is the average Bly lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Bly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Bly in 1946 was 37, and 72 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Bly family tree

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Bly Surname Meaning

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

Where is the Bly family from?

What did your Bly ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Bly.

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.

Farmer

78%

Labourer

23%

What Bly family records will you find?

What is the average Bly lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Bly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Bly in 1946 was 37, and 72 in 2004.

Bly Family History

Bly Surname Meaning

170,000 record(s) for Bly

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Bly family from?

What did your Bly ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

What Bly family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Bly family history

What is the average Bly lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Bly family tree

Search for another surname

Bly Surname Meaning

170,000 record(s) for Bly

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Bly family from?

What did your Bly ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

What Bly family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Bly family history

What is the average Bly lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Bly family tree

Search for another surname