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Lei Family History

Lei Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 雷 meaning ‘thunder’ in Chinese: (i) from the second element of Fang Lei (方雷) the name of an ancient state prior to the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). The state is said to have been named for Fang Lei Shi son of the legendary king Yu Wang (traditional dates: 4561–4494 BC) associated with a fief called Fangshan (perhaps in present-day Yuzhou or Songshan in Henan province). Some of the people from the state acquired 雷 as their surname while others acquired 方 (Fang) as their surname.

(ii) said to be traced back to Lei Gong (雷公) a famous doctor during the reign of the legendary Huang Di the Yellow Emperor (c. 27th century BC). Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 李 and 利 see Li 1 and Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 呂 see Lu 6.

Dutch: nickname for a lazy person from Middle Dutch lei ‘lazy’.

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


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Where is the Lei family from?

You can see how Lei families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Lei family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Lei families were found in and USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 8 Lei families living in Lancashire. This was about 80% of all the recorded Lei's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Lei families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Lei surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Lei ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Lei. 39% of Lei men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Lei women worked as a Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Lei | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    39%
  • Farm Laborer
    17%
  • Waiter
    12%
  • Labor
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    100%

What Lei family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search Australian census records for Lei

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Lei. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Lei immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Lei. For the veterans among your Lei ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Lei military records

You've only scratched the surface of Lei family history

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What is the average Lei lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Lei life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1981, and highest in 1976. The average life expectancy for Lei in 1960 was 51, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Lei

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Lei ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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