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

Kley Family History

Kley Name Meaning

German and Dutch: from a pet form of the personal name Nikolaus (German) or Nicolaas (Dutch). German and Dutch: topographic name or metonymic occupational name for someone who lived near fields of clay or who worked with the material from Middle Low German or Dutch klei ‘clay’. German; Dutch (also Van der Kley): habitational name from any of various places called Kley or Klei notably in Westphalia and the Netherlands of the same origin as 2 above. Compare Klei . Possibly also an Americanized form of German Klee .

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


Similar surnames: Ley, Iley, Klee, Eley, Krey, Klem, Oley, Fey, Kyles, Keel

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 Kley family from?

You can see how Kley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kley families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there was 1 Kley family living in Louisiana. This was about 50% of all the recorded Kley's in USA. Louisiana and 1 other state had the highest population of Kley families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Kley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Kley. 13% of Kley men worked as a Farmer and 21% of Kley women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kley were Clerk and Typist. .

View Census Data for Kley | 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
    13%
  • Salesman
    12%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    21%
  • Clerk
    17%
  • Stenographer
    17%
  • Typist
    13%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Kley family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search US census records for Kley

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Kley. 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 Kley immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Kley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kley family history

Discover More

What is the average Kley lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Kley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Kley in 1951 was 42, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Kley family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Kley last name

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