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Yray Family History

Yray 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: Gray, Ray, Pray, Dray, Cray, Kray, Bray, Wray, Fray, Tray

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Yray family from?

You can see how Yray families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Yray family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1861 and 1920. The most Yray families were found in USA in 1920. In 1861 there was 1 Yray family living in Shetland. This was 100% of all the recorded Yray's in Scotland. Shetland had the highest population of Yray families in 1861.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Yray 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 Yray ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and School Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Yray. 43% of Yray men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Yray women worked as a School Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Yray were Laborer and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Yray | 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

  • Farmer
    43%
  • Truck Driver
    15%
  • Farm Laborer
    15%
  • Laborer
    15%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • School Teacher
    50%
  • Housekeeper
    50%

What Yray family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 352 census records available for the last name Yray. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Yray census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Yray

Passenger Lists

There are 38 immigration records available for the last name Yray. 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 Yray immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 46 military records available for the last name Yray. For the veterans among your Yray ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Yray military records

You've only scratched the surface of Yray family history

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What is the average Yray lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Yray life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Yray in 1947 was 28, and 65 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Yray

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Yray 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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