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Loy Family History

Loy Surname Meaning

German, Dutch, and French: from a shortened form of the medieval personal name Eloy from Latin Eligius (see Eligio), a Christian saint's name. German: habitational name from Loy in Oldenburg.

Italian (Sardinia): variant of Loi. Spanish: from a shortened form of the French personal name Eloy (see 1 above).

French (Picardy): nickname from loi ‘law’ for someone who was quick to have recourse to the law, a frequent or vexatious litigant.

Chinese: variant of Loi. Chinese: possibly from Cantonese form of the Chinese name 雷 (meaning ‘thunder’) or 來 (meaning ‘come’), a monosyllabic personal name or part of a disyllabic personal name of some early Chinese immigrants in the US.

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


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Where is the Loy family from?

You can see how Loy families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Loy family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Loy families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 155 Loy families living in Yorkshire. This was about 40% of all the recorded Loy's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Loy families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Loy 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 Loy ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Bricklayer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Loy. 17% of Loy men worked as a Bricklayer and 80% of Loy women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Loy were Coal Hewer Hw and Pensioner.

View Census Data for Loy | 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

  • Bricklayer
    17%
  • Cutlery Worker
    17%
  • Postman
    17%
  • Coal Hewer Hw
    17%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    80%
  • Private Means
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Pensioner
    3%

What Loy family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 47,000 census records available for the last name Loy. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Loy census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Loy

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Loy. 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 Loy immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Loy. For the veterans among your Loy ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Loy military records

You've only scratched the surface of Loy family history

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What is the average Loy lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Loy life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Loy in 1940 was 31, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Loy

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Loy 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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