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Wily Family History

Wily 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: Wild, Will, Wilk, Wilby, Wiley, Wile, Willy, Bily, Wilt, Wilm

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 Wily family from?

You can see how Wily families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wily family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wily families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 7 Wily families living in Maine. This was about 18% of all the recorded Wily's in USA. Maine and 1 other state had the highest population of Wily families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wily 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 Wily ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wily. 43% of Wily men worked as a Laborer and 28% of Wily women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wily were Baker and Cook. .

View Census Data for Wily | 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
    43%
  • Farmer
    32%
  • Manager
    16%
  • Baker
    11%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    28%
  • Housework
    19%
  • Laborer
    19%
  • Cook
    19%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wily family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Wily. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wily census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Wily

Passenger Lists

There are 200 immigration records available for the last name Wily. 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 Wily immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 928 military records available for the last name Wily. For the veterans among your Wily ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wily military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wily family history

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What is the average Wily lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2001, in the United States, Wily life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1970, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Wily in 1962 was 83, and 89 in 2001.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wily

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