History of your Surname
Get access to Stelly family records.Start a free trial

Stelly Family History

Stelly Name Meaning

South German: variant of Stelli (or in North America an altered form of this) a nickname for a robust person from Middle High German stehelin ‘made of hardened iron’. North German: probably a derivative of Stelling . In the US this surname is found mainly in LA and TX.

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


Similar surnames: Stella, Steury, Stoll, Stell, Still, Stolley, Selle, Sell, Sully

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Stelly family from?

You can see how Stelly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Stelly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Stelly families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 6 Stelly families living in Kent. This was about 23% of all the recorded Stelly's in United Kingdom. Kent had the highest population of Stelly families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Stelly surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Stelly ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Stelly. 54% of Stelly men worked as a Farmer and 33% of Stelly women worked as a Housework. Some less common occupations for Americans named Stelly were Truck Driver and Waitress. .

View Census Data for Stelly | 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
    54%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Farm Laborer
    9%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    33%
  • Farm Laborer
    30%
  • Housewife
    10%
  • Waitress
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Stelly family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Stelly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Stelly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Stelly

Passenger Lists

There are 474 immigration records available for the last name Stelly. 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 Stelly immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Stelly. For the veterans among your Stelly ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Stelly military records

You've only scratched the surface of Stelly family history

Discover More

What is the average Stelly lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Stelly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1978. The average life expectancy for Stelly in 1951 was 41, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Stelly

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Stelly family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Stelly last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial