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Carey Family History

Carey Surname Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ciardha a midland surname meaning ‘descendant of Ciardha’ a personal name derived from ciar ‘dark black’. See Kerry.

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Fhiachra ‘son of Fiachra’. English: from Carey Barton in Devon or Castle Cary Lytes Cary Cary Fitzpaine or Babcary all in Somerset named for the rivers on which they stand; both river names probably derive from the Celtic root car- ‘love liking’ perhaps with the meaning ‘pleasant stream’.

Welsh: variant of Carew. Possibly an Americanized form of German Gehrig or Gehring.

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


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Where is the Carey family from?

You can see how Carey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Carey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Carey families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 978 Carey families living in London. This was about 18% of all the recorded Carey's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Carey families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Carey 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 Carey 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 Carey. 9% of Carey men worked as a General Labourer and 64% of Carey women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Carey were Incapacitated and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Carey | 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
    9%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    64%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

What Carey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 418,000 census records available for the last name Carey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Carey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Carey

Passenger Lists

There are 128,000 immigration records available for the last name Carey. 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 Carey immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 75,000 military records available for the last name Carey. For the veterans among your Carey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Carey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Carey family history

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What is the average Carey lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Carey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Carey in 1941 was 37, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Carey

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Carey 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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