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Pelkey Family History

Pelkey Surname Meaning

Americanized form of French Pelletier ‘furrier’. Alteration of the French ending -tier to English -key is typical for American French surnames.

Compare Pelky and Pilkey. Possibly also an Americanized form of Polish Pełka or Jewish Pelka.

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 Pelkey family from?

You can see how Pelkey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pelkey family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Pelkey families were found in USA in 1880. In 1871 there was 1 Pelkey family living in Renfrewshire. This was 100% of all the recorded Pelkey's in Scotland. Renfrewshire had the highest population of Pelkey families in 1871.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pelkey 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 Pelkey ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Pelkey. 32% of Pelkey men worked as a Laborer and 21% of Pelkey women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Pelkey were Salesman and Housework.

View Census Data for Pelkey | 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
    32%
  • Farmer
    8%
  • Truck Driver
    5%
  • Salesman
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    21%
  • Housekeeper
    13%
  • Waitress
    11%
  • Housework
    10%

What Pelkey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 14,000 census records available for the last name Pelkey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pelkey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Pelkey

Passenger Lists

There are 970 immigration records available for the last name Pelkey. 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 Pelkey immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Pelkey. For the veterans among your Pelkey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Pelkey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Pelkey family history

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What is the average Pelkey lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Pelkey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Pelkey in 1945 was 33, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Pelkey

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

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