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Kaya Family History

Kaya Surname Meaning

Turkish: ornamental name or nickname from kaya ‘rock’ as a nickname applied to a man as strong as a rock. This is the second most frequent surname in Turkey.

Americanized form of Polish Kaja. Japanese: written 茅 ‘miscanthus reed’; it can also be written several ways phonetically. It is rare in Japan.

In North America the name may be the result of shortening any of several other names beginning with Kaya- such as Kayashima none of which is common by itself.

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


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Where is the Kaya family from?

You can see how Kaya families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kaya family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Kaya families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there was 1 Kaya family living in Ontario. This was about 50% of all the recorded Kaya's in Canada. Ontario and 1 other province had the highest population of Kaya families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kaya 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 Kaya ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Proprietor and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Kaya. 17% of Kaya men worked as a Proprietor and 39% of Kaya women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kaya were Painter and Helper.

View Census Data for Kaya | 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

  • Proprietor
    17%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Carpenter
    10%
  • Painter
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    39%
  • Maid
    31%
  • Student Nurse
    16%
  • Helper
    16%

What Kaya family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search Canadian census records for Kaya

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 297 military records available for the last name Kaya. For the veterans among your Kaya ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kaya military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kaya family history

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What is the average Kaya lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2003, in the United States, Kaya life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Kaya in 1954 was 41, and 72 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kaya

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kaya 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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