This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Gailey family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Gailey Family History

Gailey Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from a place in Staffordshire named Gailey from Old English gagel ‘bog-myrtle’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. In some instances an altered form of South German Gailer (variant of Geiler) or of Swiss German Gälli (see Gall).

Scottish: from Gaelic Gallaich a collective name used for the inhabitants of Caithness who were largely of Scandinavian origin and regarded as ‘foreign’ or ‘strangers’. This is also a collective name (in Ayrshire and adjoining counties) from gallda ‘stranger’.

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


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Gailey family from?

You can see how Gailey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gailey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gailey families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 12 Gailey families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 35% of all the recorded Gailey's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Gailey families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gailey 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 Gailey ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gailey. 23% of Gailey men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Gailey women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gailey were Farm Laborer and Maid.

View Census Data for Gailey | 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
    23%
  • Laborer
    21%
  • Clerk
    4%
  • Farm Laborer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    11%
  • Clerk
    9%
  • Housewife
    9%
  • Maid
    8%

What Gailey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Gailey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gailey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Gailey

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Gailey. For the veterans among your Gailey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gailey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gailey family history

Discover More

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gailey family tree

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