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Seeley Family History

Seeley Surname Meaning

English: nickname for a person with a cheerful disposition from Middle English seli ‘happy fortunate’ (Old English sǣlig from sǣl ‘happiness good fortune’). The word was also occasionally used as a female personal name during the Middle Ages.

The sense ‘pitiable’ which developed into modern English silly is not attested before the 15th century. See also Selman.

Altered form of German Seele respelled to preserve the bisyllabic pronunciation of the German name.

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


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Where is the Seeley family from?

You can see how Seeley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Seeley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Seeley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 107 Seeley families living in Ontario. This was about 39% of all the recorded Seeley's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Seeley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Seeley 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 Seeley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Seeley. 44% of Seeley men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Seeley women worked as a Farmer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Seeley were Machinist and Teacher.

View Census Data for Seeley | 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
    44%
  • Labourer
    13%
  • Blacksmith
    6%
  • Machinist
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    50%
  • Teacher
    50%

What Seeley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 94,000 census records available for the last name Seeley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Seeley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Seeley

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Seeley. 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 Seeley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 14,000 military records available for the last name Seeley. For the veterans among your Seeley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Seeley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Seeley family history

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What is the average Seeley lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Seeley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Seeley in 1944 was 40, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Seeley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Seeley 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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