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Varey Family History

Varey Surname Meaning

Variant of Farrar. Compare Margrett Farrer 1585, Katheryn Varey 1591 in IGI (Kendal Westm); John Vary 1663, William Farrar 1675 in York Freemen's Register (York); Robert Farrah 1665, Anne Varo 1708, Jno. Varey 1716 in IGI (Barwick in Elmet WR Yorks); John Farrah 1689, John Varey 1696, Tho. Varah 1724 in IGI (Leeds WR Yorks).

Perhaps from Middle English varay, verrei, verri, werr(e)i (Old French veraie, varei, Anglo-Norman French verri) ‘truthful, upright, trustworthy’. As Redmonds Dictionary of Yorks Surnames points out, the NR Yorks name appears to have a different origin from that in (1), while the 16th-century spellings for the Rotherham name (implying a long vowel or diphthong) also look more like this name than that in (1) where a short vowel is more usual.

However, the two names may easily have been confused, especially in S Yorks.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Varey family from?

You can see how Varey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Varey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Varey families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 265 Varey families living in Yorkshire. This was about 46% of all the recorded Varey's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Varey families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Varey 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 Varey ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Varey. 31% of Varey men worked as a General Labourer and 75% of Varey women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Varey were General Dealer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Varey | 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

  • General Labourer
    31%
  • Retired
    9%
  • Labourer Retired
    6%
  • General Dealer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%

What Varey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Varey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Varey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Varey

Passenger Lists

There are 844 immigration records available for the last name Varey. 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 Varey immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 794 military records available for the last name Varey. For the veterans among your Varey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Varey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Varey family history

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What is the average Varey lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2003, in the United States, Varey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1972, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Varey in 1959 was 51, and 63 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Varey

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Varey 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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