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Ley Family History

Ley Surname Meaning

English: variant of Lee. German: from a medieval personal name Eloy from Latin Eligius (see Eligio) a Christian saint's name.

German (Rhineland): topographic name from Middle High German leie ‘rock stone slate’ or a habitational name from any of several places called with this word. Compare Leier.

German: metonymic occupational name for a slater from Middle High German leie ‘slate’. French: habitational name from Ley in Moselle.

French (Alsace): of German origin (see above).

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


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Where is the Ley family from?

You can see how Ley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 44 Ley families living in Ontario. This was about 50% of all the recorded Ley's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Ley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ley 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 Ley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Ley. 39% of Ley men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Ley women worked as a Teacher.

View Census Data for Ley | 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%
  • Labourer
    21%
  • Carpenter
    15%
  • Fisherman
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    100%

What Ley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 64,000 census records available for the last name Ley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Ley

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Ley. 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 Ley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 22,000 military records available for the last name Ley. For the veterans among your Ley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ley family history

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What is the average Ley lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Ley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Ley in 1949 was 31, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ley 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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