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Bey Family History

Bey Name Meaning

North German and Dutch: from the personal name Beye or Baye vowel variants of Boye . Germanized form of Sorbian Baj: nickname or occupational name from Upper Sorbian baj ‘storyteller’. Compare Bay . French: habitational name from (Le) Bey the name of several places in eastern France in Ain Meurthe-et-Moselle or Saône-et-Loire. French (Burgundy): topographic name for someone who lived by a mill stream from a regional variant of bief ‘mill-race’. Muslim (mainly Algeria also common among African Americans): from the Turkish title bey a younger form of beg (see Beg ) denoting a nobleman serving as a local administrator in the Ottoman Empire. It was also a high military rank in the Ottoman army and also widely used as a title of respect for a man (after a man's name). See also 6 below Agha and Pasha . Turkish: ornamental name or nickname from bey a Turkish title (see 5 above).

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


Similar surnames: Ley, Hey, Bay, Rey, Beck, Fey, Dey, Bly, Beg, Ney

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Bey family from?

You can see how Bey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bey families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there was 1 Bey family living in New York. This was about 50% of all the recorded Bey's in USA. New York and 1 other state had the highest population of Bey families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bey 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 Bey ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Bey. 40% of Bey men worked as a Laborer and 13% of Bey women worked as a Housework. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bey were Janitor and Housekeeper. .

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*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
    40%
  • Farmer
    9%
  • Truck Driver
    3%
  • Janitor
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    13%
  • Maid
    11%
  • Laundress
    10%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Bey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Bey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Bey

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Bey. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Bey. For the veterans among your Bey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Bey lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Bey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Bey in 1950 was 55, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bey

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