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Palfrey Family History

Palfrey Surname Meaning

English (mainly Devon and Somerset): nickname from Middle English palefrei ‘riding horse palfrey’ (Old French palefroi palefrei) perhaps for someone who looked after saddle-horses.

Compare Palfreyman.

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 Palfrey family from?

You can see how Palfrey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Palfrey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Palfrey families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 189 Palfrey families living in Devon. This was about 17% of all the recorded Palfrey's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Palfrey families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Palfrey 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 Palfrey ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Palfrey. 8% of Palfrey men worked as a Farmer and 67% of Palfrey women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Palfrey were Bricklayer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Palfrey | 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

  • Farmer
    8%
  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%
  • Bricklayer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Palfrey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 21,000 census records available for the last name Palfrey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Palfrey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Palfrey

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Palfrey. 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 Palfrey immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Palfrey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Palfrey family history

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What is the average Palfrey lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Palfrey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Palfrey in 1941 was 24, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Palfrey

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Palfrey 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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