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

Cley Family History

Cley Name 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: Ley, Caley, Kley, Coley, Iley, Clee, Clay, Bley, Oley, Coey

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 Cley family from?

You can see how Cley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there was 1 Cley family living in Ohio. This was 100% of all the recorded Cley's in USA. Ohio had the highest population of Cley families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Cley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Laborer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Cley. 28% of Cley men worked as a Farmer and 60% of Cley women worked as a Laborer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cley were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Cley | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    28%
  • Laborer
    23%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Truck Driver
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    60%
  • Teacher
    40%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Cley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Cley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Cley

Passenger Lists

There are 182 immigration records available for the last name Cley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 171 military records available for the last name Cley. For the veterans among your Cley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cley family history

Discover More

What is the average Cley lifespan?

Between 1970 and 2003, in the United States, Cley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1971, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Cley in 1970 was 86, and 93 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Cley family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Cley last name

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