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Joly Family History

Joly Name Meaning

French: nickname for someone of a cheerful or attractive disposition from Old French joli(f) ‘cheerful lively pretty’. Compare Jolie and Jolly . English (Channel Islands mainly Jersey): variant of Jolly a cognate of 1 above.

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


Similar surnames: Goldy, Jory, July, Joy, Sole, Poli, Bol, Poley, Poll, Jolly

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Joly family from?

You can see how Joly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Joly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Joly families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1911 there were 875 Joly families living in Quebec. This was about 82% of all the recorded Joly's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Joly families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Joly surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Joly ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Cultivateur and Couturire were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Joly. 25% of Joly men worked as a Cultivateur and 20% of Joly women worked as a Couturire. Some less common occupations for Americans named Joly were Laborer and Revenue. .

View Census Data for Joly | 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

  • Cultivateur
    25%
  • Journalier
    13%
  • Farmer
    6%
  • Laborer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Couturire
    20%
  • Religieuse
    9%
  • Institutrice
    9%
  • Revenue
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Joly family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 27,000 census records available for the last name Joly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Joly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Joly

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Joly. For the veterans among your Joly ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Joly lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Joly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1966. The average life expectancy for Joly in 1940 was 34, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Joly

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