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Melley Family History

Melley Name Meaning

Irish: variant of Melly an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Meallaigh ‘descendant of Meallach’ a personal name based on meall ‘pleasant’.

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


Similar surnames: Malley, Melloy, Jelley, Kelley, Munley, Meller, Manley, Mealey

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 Melley family from?

You can see how Melley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Melley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Melley families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 47 Melley families living in Massachusetts. This was about 43% of all the recorded Melley's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Melley families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Melley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Melley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Melley. 17% of Melley men worked as a Laborer and 23% of Melley women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Melley were Machinist and Waitress. .

View Census Data for Melley | 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
    17%
  • Salesman
    14%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Machinist
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    23%
  • Housekeeper
    17%
  • Clerk
    17%
  • Waitress
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Melley family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search US census records for Melley

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Melley. 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 Melley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 558 military records available for the last name Melley. For the veterans among your Melley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Melley military records

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What is the average Melley lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Melley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1982, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Melley in 1959 was 56, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Melley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Melley family tree

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