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Melley Family History

Melley Surname Meaning

Irish: variant of Melly an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Meallaigh ‘descendant of Meallach’

a personal name based on meall ‘pleasant’.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Melley family from?

You can see how Melley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Melley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Melley families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 18 Melley families living in Ontario. This was about 82% of all the recorded Melley's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Melley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Melley 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 Melley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Melley. 17% of Melley men worked as a Laborer and 23% of Melley women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Melley were Machinist and Waitress.

View Census Data for Melley | 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

  • Laborer
    17%
  • Salesman
    14%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Machinist
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    23%
  • Housekeeper
    17%
  • Clerk
    17%
  • Waitress
    12%

What Melley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Melley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Melley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Melley

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 558 military records available for the last name Melley. For the veterans among your Melley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Melley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Melley family history

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What is the average Melley lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Melley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1982, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Melley in 1959 was 56, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Melley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Melley 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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