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Relley Family History

Relley 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: Selley, Pelley, Remley, Jelley, Reiley, Melley, Reller, Kelley, Elley

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Relley family from?

You can see how Relley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Relley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Relley families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1840 there was 1 Relley family living in Connecticut. This was about 33% of all the recorded Relley's in USA. Connecticut and 2 other states had the highest population of Relley families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Relley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Relley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Relley. 19% of Relley men worked as a Laborer and 13% of Relley women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Relley were Truck Driver and Waitress. .

View Census Data for Relley | 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

  • Laborer
    19%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Truck Driver
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    13%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
  • Cook
    7%
  • Waitress
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Relley family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search US census records for Relley

Passenger Lists

There are 443 immigration records available for the last name Relley. 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 Relley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 266 military records available for the last name Relley. For the veterans among your Relley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Relley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Relley family history

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What is the average Relley lifespan?

Average Relley life expectancy in 1994 was 41 years. This was lower than the general public life expectancy which was 73.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Relley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Relley family tree

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