History of your Surname
Get access to Carey family records.Start a free trial

Carey Family History

Carey Name Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ciardha, a midland family name meaning ‘descendant of Ciardha’, a personal name derived from ciar ‘dark’, ‘black’. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Fhiachra ‘son of Fiachra’. English: habitational name from Carey in Devon or Cary in Somerset, named for the rivers on which they stand; both river names probably derive from the Celtic root car- ‘love’, ‘liking’, perhaps with the meaning ‘pleasant stream’. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from the manor of Carrey, near Lisieux, Normandy, France, of uncertain origin. Welsh and Cornish: variant of Carew. Possibly an Americanized form of German Gehrig or Gehring.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Caley, Carley, Carby, Carney, Rarey, Cardy, Harty, Care, Carew, Corey

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Carey family from?

You can see how Carey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Carey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Carey families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 463 Carey families living in Ontario. This was about 53% of all the recorded Carey's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Carey families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Carey surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Carey ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Carey. 30% of Carey men worked as a Farmer and 18% of Carey women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Carey were Carpenter and Student.

View Census data for Carey | 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
    30%
  • Labourer
    11%
  • Laborer
    5%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Stenographer
    18%
  • Income
    13%
  • Housekeeper
    11%
  • Student
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Carey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 418,000 census records available for the last name Carey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Carey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Carey

Passenger Lists

There are 128,000 immigration records available for the last name Carey. 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 Carey immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 75,000 military records available for the last name Carey. For the veterans among your Carey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Carey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Carey family history.

Discover More

What is the average Carey lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Carey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Carey in 1941 was 37, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Carey

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Carey family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial