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Lees Family History

Lees Name Meaning

English and Scottish: topographic name from Middle English lees ‘fields arable land’ plural of lee (see Lee ) or from Middle English lese ‘pasture meadow’ (Old English lǣs). English: habitational name from Leece or Lees in Lancashire or Leese in Cheshire all named from Old English lēas ‘woodland clearings’ (plural of lēah) or from Leece in Cumbria which was probably named with a Celtic word lïss ‘hall court the principal house in a district’. English: variant of Leece Scottish: shortened form of Gillies . Scottish and Irish: shortened and altered form of McLeish . Dutch: variant of Leys .

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


Similar surnames: Lee, Leys, Leed, Hees, Dees, Leas, Lier, Leet, Leese, Leeds

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Where is the Lees family from?

You can see how Lees families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Lees family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Lees families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 218 Lees families living in Ontario. This was about 51% of all the recorded Lees's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Lees families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Lees surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Lees ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Lees. 34% of Lees men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Lees women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Lees were Miner and Farmer. .

View Census Data for Lees | 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
    34%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Labourer
    6%
  • Miner
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    20%
  • Operator
    15%
  • Income
    8%
  • Farmer
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Lees family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 225,000 census records available for the last name Lees. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Lees census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Lees

Passenger Lists

There are 27,000 immigration records available for the last name Lees. 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 Lees immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Lees. For the veterans among your Lees ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Lees military records

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What is the average Lees lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Lees life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Lees in 1946 was 45, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Lees

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