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Kelley Family History

Kelley Surname Meaning

Irish (Offaly) and English: variant of Kelly.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Kelley family from?

You can see how Kelley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kelley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kelley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 202 Kelley families living in Massachusetts. This was about 14% of all the recorded Kelley's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Kelley families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kelley 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 Kelley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Kelley. 15% of Kelley men worked as a Laborer and 6% of Kelley women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kelley were Truck Driver and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Kelley | 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
    15%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Stenographer
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%

What Kelley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 746,000 census records available for the last name Kelley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kelley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Kelley

Passenger Lists

There are 50,000 immigration records available for the last name Kelley. 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 Kelley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 154,000 military records available for the last name Kelley. For the veterans among your Kelley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kelley military records

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