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Palaia Family History

Palaia Surname Meaning

Italian (southern): nickname or metonymic occupational name from southern dialect palaia ‘sole’ (the fish) from Catalan palaya.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Palaia family from?

You can see how Palaia families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Palaia family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1911 and 1920. The most Palaia families were found in USA in 1920. In 1920 there were 7 Palaia families living in New Jersey. This was about 33% of all the recorded Palaia's in USA. New Jersey had the highest population of Palaia families in 1920.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Palaia 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 Palaia ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Nurse were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Palaia. 37% of Palaia men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Palaia women worked as a Nurse.

View Census Data for Palaia | 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
    37%
  • Merchant
    28%
  • Tailor
    19%
  • Presser
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Nurse
    100%

What Palaia family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 455 census records available for the last name Palaia. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Palaia census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Palaia

Passenger Lists

There are 353 immigration records available for the last name Palaia. 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 Palaia immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 179 military records available for the last name Palaia. For the veterans among your Palaia ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Palaia military records

You've only scratched the surface of Palaia family history

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What is the average Palaia lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Palaia life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1998, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Palaia in 1964 was 79, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Palaia

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Palaia 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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