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Eley Family History

Eley Surname Meaning

English: variant of Ely.

German: from a vernacular form of the medieval personal name Eligius (see Eligio)

a Christian saint's name.

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 Eley family from?

You can see how Eley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Eley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Eley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 386 Eley families living in Derbyshire. This was about 17% of all the recorded Eley's in United Kingdom. Derbyshire had the highest population of Eley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Eley 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 Eley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Eley. 11% of Eley men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Eley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Eley were Bricklayer and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Eley | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    11%
  • Gardener
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Eley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 56,000 census records available for the last name Eley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Eley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Eley

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Eley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Eley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Eley. For the veterans among your Eley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Eley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Eley family history

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What is the average Eley lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Eley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Eley in 1943 was 40, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Eley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Eley 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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