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Kely Family History

Kely Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Kelly, Kell, Kelm, Ely, Kelp, Kiely, Kelty, Kealy, Key, Keay

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Kely family from?

You can see how Kely families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kely family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kely families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2 Kely families living in Channel Islands. This was about 33% of all the recorded Kely's in United Kingdom. Channel Islands had the highest population of Kely families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kely 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 Kely ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Kely. 100% of Kely women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Kely | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Kely family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Kely. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kely census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kely

Passenger Lists

There are 852 immigration records available for the last name Kely. 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 Kely immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 779 military records available for the last name Kely. For the veterans among your Kely ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kely military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kely family history

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What is the average Kely lifespan?

Between 1965 and 1993, in the United States, Kely life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1993, and highest in 1965. The average life expectancy for Kely in 1965 was 71, and 66 in 1993.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kely

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kely 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Kely family tree

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