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Highly Family History

Highly Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Highley, High, Hughley, Higham, Hight, Hinely, Lighty, Eighmy, Higby

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Highly family from?

You can see how Highly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Highly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Highly families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 3 Highly families living in Quebec. This was about 60% of all the recorded Highly's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Highly families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Highly 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 Highly ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Highly. 47% of Highly men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Highly women worked as a Housewife.

View Census Data for Highly | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    47%
  • Laborer
    27%
  • Teacher
    14%
  • Carpenter
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    100%

What Highly family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Highly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Highly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Highly

Passenger Lists

There are 56 immigration records available for the last name Highly. 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 Highly immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Highly. For the veterans among your Highly ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Highly military records

You've only scratched the surface of Highly family history

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What is the average Highly lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2003, in the United States, Highly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2001, and highest in 1969. The average life expectancy for Highly in 1953 was 31, and 87 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Highly

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Highly 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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