Early Family History

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Early Name Meaning

Irish: translation of Gaelic Ó Mocháin (see Mohan; Gaelic moch means ‘early’ or ‘timely’), or of some other similar surname, for example Ó Mochóir, a shortened form of Ó Mochéirghe, Ó Maoil-Mhochéirghe, from a personal name meaning ‘early rising’. English: habitational name from any of various places, such as Earley in Berkshire and Arley in Cheshire, Lancashire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire, which derive their names from Old English earn ‘eagle’ + leah ‘woodland clearing’. English: nickname from Old English eorllic ‘manly’, ‘noble’, a derivative of eorl (see Earl). Americanized spelling of German Ehrle.

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


Similar surnames: Barley, Earl, Marley, Earley, Harty, Carby, Earp, Earle, Earll

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Early Family Origin

Where is the Early family from?

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You can see how Early families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Early family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Early families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 249 Early families living in London. This was about 31% of all the recorded Early's in the UK. London had the highest population of Early families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Early surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Early

Early Family Occupations

What did your Early 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 Early. 20% of Early men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Early women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Early were Newsagent and Domestic Duties

View Census data for Early | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1939

  • General Labourer
    20%
  • Dock Labourer
    9%
  • Builders Labourer Heavy Worker
    7%
  • Newsagent
    7%

Top Female Occupations in 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%

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

Early Historical Records

What Early family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 96,000 census records available for the last name Early. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Early census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Early

Passenger List

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Early. 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 Early immigration records

Draft Card

There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Early. For the veterans among your Early ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Early military records

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

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Early Life Expectancy

What is the average Early lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Early life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Early in 1940 was 33, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Early

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Early 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 Early Family Ancestors

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