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Priestly Family History

Priestly Name Meaning

English: variant of Priestley .

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


Similar surnames: Pressly, Priestley, Pressley, Presley, Brierly, Cristy, Griest, Prest

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 Priestly family from?

You can see how Priestly families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Priestly family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Priestly families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 2 Priestly families living in New Jersey. This was about 18% of all the recorded Priestly's in USA. New Jersey and 2 other states had the highest population of Priestly families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Priestly surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Priestly ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Priestly. 26% of Priestly men worked as a Laborer and 19% of Priestly women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Priestly were Salesman and Laborer. .

View Census Data for Priestly | 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
    26%
  • Farmer
    23%
  • Truck Driver
    7%
  • Salesman
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    19%
  • Maid
    17%
  • Seamstress
    9%
  • Laborer
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Priestly family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 15,000 census records available for the last name Priestly. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Priestly census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Priestly

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Priestly military records

You've only scratched the surface of Priestly family history

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What is the average Priestly lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Priestly life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1964, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Priestly in 1954 was 50, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Priestly

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Priestly family tree

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