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Flay Family History

Flay Surname Meaning

English: nickname from either of two Middle English words: fle(gh) ‘flea’ (Old English flēah) or fli(gh)e ‘fly winged insect’ (Old English flēoghe).

The two Middle English words share a number of spellings and it is hard to separate them.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Flay family from?

You can see how Flay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Flay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Flay families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 81 Flay families living in Gloucestershire. This was about 24% of all the recorded Flay's in United Kingdom. Gloucestershire had the highest population of Flay families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Flay 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 Flay 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 Flay. 30% of Flay men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Flay women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Flay were General Farm Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Du.

View Census Data for Flay | 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
    30%
  • Farmer
    30%
  • Plasterer
    20%
  • General Farm Labourer
    20%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Du
    3%

What Flay family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Flay

Passenger Lists

There are 564 immigration records available for the last name Flay. 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 Flay immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 718 military records available for the last name Flay. For the veterans among your Flay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Flay military records

You've only scratched the surface of Flay family history

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What is the average Flay lifespan?

Between 1965 and 2004, in the United States, Flay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1973, and highest in 1979. The average life expectancy for Flay in 1965 was 79, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Flay

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Flay 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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