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Espy Family History

Espy Surname Meaning

Scottish (western Scotland): from a shortened form of Gillespie.

French: topographic name for someone living near a prominent thorn bush or in an area characterized by such vegetation from Old French espine (from Latin spina).

Occasionally the name may derive from the same word used in a transferred sense of the crest or ridge of a hill.

In some cases also an altered form of German Espey.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Espy family from?

You can see how Espy families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Espy family name was found in the USA, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Espy families were found in USA in 1880. In 1841 there were 8 Espy families living in Ayrshire. This was about 73% of all the recorded Espy's in Scotland. Ayrshire had the highest population of Espy families in 1841.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Espy surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1841
  • 1851
  • 1861
  • 1871
  • 1881
  • 1891
  • 1901
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What did your Espy ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Espy. 19% of Espy men worked as a Laborer and 22% of Espy women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Espy were Manager and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Espy | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    19%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    12%
  • Manager
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    22%
  • Maid
    8%
  • Bookkeeper
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    6%

What Espy family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Espy. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Espy census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Espy

Passenger Lists

There are 809 immigration records available for the last name Espy. 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 Espy immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Espy. For the veterans among your Espy ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Espy military records

You've only scratched the surface of Espy family history

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What is the average Espy lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Espy life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Espy in 1950 was 36, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Espy

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

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