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Sely Family History

Sely 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: Sell, Sealy, Selby, Ely, Sly, Self, Selk, Selz, Sevy, Seley

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 Sely family from?

You can see how Sely families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sely family name was found in the USA, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sely families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 3 Sely families living in New York. This was about 75% of all the recorded Sely's in USA. New York had the highest population of Sely families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sely 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 Sely ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farm Laborer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Sely. 34% of Sely men worked as a Farm Laborer. .

View Census Data for Sely | 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

  • Farm Laborer
    34%
  • Laborer
    23%
  • Salesman
    23%
  • Farmer
    23%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Sely family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 697 census records available for the last name Sely. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sely census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Sely

Passenger Lists

There are 103 immigration records available for the last name Sely. 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 Sely immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 464 military records available for the last name Sely. For the veterans among your Sely ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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