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Spey Family History

Spey Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Spry, Espey, Shey, Srey, Say, Rey, Pay, Shen, Hey, Spier

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Spey family from?

You can see how Spey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Spey family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Spey families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 5 Spey families living in Cornwall. This was about 83% of all the recorded Spey's in United Kingdom. Cornwall had the highest population of Spey families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Spey 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 Spey ancestors do for a living?

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

View Census Data for Spey | 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
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Secretary
    100%

What Spey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 546 census records available for the last name Spey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Spey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Spey

Passenger Lists

There are 167 immigration records available for the last name Spey. 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 Spey immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 82 military records available for the last name Spey. For the veterans among your Spey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Spey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Spey family history

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What is the average Spey lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Spey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1999, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Spey in 1962 was 74, and 66 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Spey

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

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