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Cairley Family History

Cairley 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: Fairley, Carley, Cairney, Bailey, Carey, Barley, Varley, Harley

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Cairley family from?

You can see how Cairley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cairley family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1911. The most Cairley families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1841 there was 1 Cairley family living in Ayrshire. This was about 50% of all the recorded Cairley's in Scotland. Ayrshire and 1 other county had the highest population of Cairley families in 1841.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cairley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1841
  • 1881
  • 1891
  • 1901
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What did your Cairley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Married Woman were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Cairley. 100% of Cairley men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Cairley women worked as a Married Woman.

View Census Data for Cairley | 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.

Canada shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Married Woman
    100%

What Cairley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 129 census records available for the last name Cairley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cairley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cairley

Passenger Lists

There are 37 immigration records available for the last name Cairley. 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 Cairley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 30 military records available for the last name Cairley. For the veterans among your Cairley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cairley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cairley family history

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What is the average Cairley lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cairley 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.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cairley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Cairley family tree

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