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Zaleski Family History

Zaleski Surname Meaning

Polish: topographic name for someone who lived ‘on the other side of the forest’ from za ‘beyond’ + las ‘forest’ with the addition of the surname suffix -ski. Polish and Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name for someone from any of several places called Zalesie (derived from the same Polish words za and las as 1 above).

Polish (Załęski): topographic name for someone who lived ‘on the other side of the water meadow’ from za ‘beyond’ + łęg ‘water meadow’ with the addition of the surname suffix -ski. Americanized form of Polish Zalewski.

In some cases this is probably also an Americanized form of Ukrainian and Belorussian Zalessky, a cognate of 1 above. Compare Zalesky and Salesky.

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


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Where is the Zaleski family from?

You can see how Zaleski families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Zaleski family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Zaleski families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 4 Zaleski families living in London. This was about 80% of all the recorded Zaleski's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Zaleski families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Zaleski 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 Zaleski ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Laborer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Zaleski. 28% of Zaleski men worked as a Laborer and 10% of Zaleski women worked as a Laborer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Zaleski were Truck Driver and Maid.

View Census Data for Zaleski | 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
    28%
  • Machinist
    6%
  • New Worker
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    10%
  • Waitress
    7%
  • Machine Operator
    7%
  • Maid
    7%

What Zaleski family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Zaleski. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Zaleski census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Zaleski

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Zaleski. 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 Zaleski immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Zaleski military records

You've only scratched the surface of Zaleski family history

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What is the average Zaleski lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Zaleski life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Zaleski in 1943 was 49, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Zaleski

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Zaleski 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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