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Galley Family History

Galley Surname Meaning

English: metonymic occupational name from Middle English galei(e) gallie ‘seagoing vessel with sails and oars galley’ (Old French galee galie) perhaps denoting an oarsman.

English: variant of Galilee topographic or occupational name from Middle English galile(e) galilie ‘small chapel or porch at the entrance to a church’ possibly denoting someone who lived near a galilee or whose work was associated with one.

Scottish: variant of Gailey.

French: variant of Gallet Compare Galey.

German: presumably a derivative of Gall.

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


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Where is the Galley family from?

You can see how Galley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Galley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Galley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 59 Galley families living in Ontario. This was about 40% of all the recorded Galley's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Galley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Galley 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 Galley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Galley. 25% of Galley men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Galley women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Galley were Machinist and Teacher.

View Census Data for Galley | 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
    25%
  • Laborer
    22%
  • Labourer
    13%
  • Machinist
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housewife
    50%
  • Teacher
    50%

What Galley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 32,000 census records available for the last name Galley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Galley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Galley

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Galley. 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 Galley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Galley. For the veterans among your Galley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Galley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Galley family history

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What is the average Galley lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Galley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Galley in 1944 was 32, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Galley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Galley 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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