Day Family History

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Day Name Meaning

English: from a pet form of David. English: from the Middle English personal name Day(e) or Dey(e), Old English Dæi, apparently from Old English dæg ‘day’, perhaps a short form of Old English personal names such as Dægberht and Dægmund. Reaney, however, points to the Middle English word day(e), dey(e) ‘dairy maid’, ‘(female) servant’ (from Old English d?ge, cognate with Old Norse deigja ‘female servant’, ultimately from a root meaning ‘to knead’, and related to the word for dough), which he says came to be used for a servant of either sex. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Deaghaidh (see O’Dea). Scottish: from an Anglicized form of the Gaelic personal name Daìdh, a colloquial form of David. Welsh: from Dai, a pet form of the personal name Dafydd, Welsh form of David.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Hay, Kay, May, Bay, Pay, Ray, Daw, Gay, Dey, Fay

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Day Family Origin

Where is the Day family from?

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You can see how Day families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Day family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Day families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 5,950 Day families living in London. This was about 20% of all the recorded Day's in the UK. London had the highest population of Day families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Day surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

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Day Family Occupations

What did your Day ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the UK named Day. 7% of Day men worked as a General Labourer and 64% of Day women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Day were Bricklayer and Incapacitated

View Census data for Day | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1939

  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Gardener
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    2%

Top Female Occupations in 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    64%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Day Historical Records

What Day family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Day. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Day census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Day

Passenger List

There are 98,000 immigration records available for the last name Day. 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.

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Draft Card

There are 372,000 military records available for the last name Day. For the veterans among your Day ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Day family history.

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Day Life Expectancy

What is the average Day lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Day life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Day in 1941 was 56, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Day

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Day 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.

Famous Day Family Ancestors

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