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Abbey Family History

Abbey Surname Meaning

English: from Middle English abbeye, abbaye (Old French abeie, Late Latin abbatia ‘priest’s house’),

applied as a topographic name for someone living in or near an abbey,

or an occupational name for someone working in one.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: 

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Abbey family from?

You can see how Abbey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Abbey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Abbey families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 482 Abbey families living in Yorkshire. This was about 38% of all the recorded Abbey's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Abbey families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Abbey 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 Abbey 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 Abbey. 21% of Abbey men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Abbey women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Abbey were Bricklayer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Abbey | 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
    21%
  • Carpenter
    8%
  • Gardener
    8%
  • Bricklayer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%

What Abbey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 55,000 census records available for the last name Abbey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Abbey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Abbey

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Abbey. 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 Abbey immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Abbey. For the veterans among your Abbey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Abbey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Abbey family history

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What is the average Abbey lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Abbey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Abbey in 1940 was 42, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Abbey

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Abbey 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 Abbey family tree

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