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Smiley Family History

Smiley Surname Meaning

Scottish and northern Irish: probably a variant of Smillie; see Smalley.

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 Smiley family from?

You can see how Smiley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Smiley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Smiley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 142 Smiley families living in Ontario. This was about 39% of all the recorded Smiley's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Smiley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Smiley 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 Smiley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Smiley. 45% of Smiley men worked as a Farmer and 24% of Smiley women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Smiley were Gardener and Saleslady.

View Census Data for Smiley | 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
    45%
  • Fisherman
    11%
  • Merchant
    7%
  • Gardener
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    24%
  • School
    15%
  • Housewife
    15%
  • Saleslady
    15%

What Smiley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 82,000 census records available for the last name Smiley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Smiley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Smiley

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Smiley. 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 Smiley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 18,000 military records available for the last name Smiley. For the veterans among your Smiley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Smiley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Smiley family history

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What is the average Smiley lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Smiley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Smiley in 1942 was 43, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Smiley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Smiley 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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