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Roby Family History

Roby Surname Meaning

English (Lancashire): habitational name from Roby in Huyton (Lancashire) from Old Norse rá ‘landmark boundary’ + bȳ ‘farmstead village’. Compare Raby.

Scottish: variant of Robbie. Variant of Raby 3 a surname of French origin.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Roby family from?

You can see how Roby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Roby family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Roby families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 547 Roby families living in Lancashire. This was about 61% of all the recorded Roby's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Roby families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Roby 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 Roby ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Colliery Hewer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Roby. 22% of Roby men worked as a Colliery Hewer and 82% of Roby women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Roby were Cotton Spinner and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Roby | 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

  • Colliery Hewer
    22%
  • General Labourer
    16%
  • Colliery Hewer Heavy Worker
    14%
  • Cotton Spinner
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Roby family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 52,000 census records available for the last name Roby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Roby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Roby

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Roby. 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 Roby immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Roby. For the veterans among your Roby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Roby military records

You've only scratched the surface of Roby family history

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What is the average Roby lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Roby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Roby in 1945 was 62, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Roby

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Roby 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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