Foley Family History, Genealogy & Ancestry

The Foley Family

5,591 Foley records from public death, burial and census records and the old county histories, in all 12 Midwestern states we cover. Every name is a real person in the public record, and we follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

5,591Records in our database

1814Earliest birth

3Documented families

1Biographies

See the Foley family trees →314 Foley families pieced together from public birth and death records, county histories and old newspapers

At a glance

5,591 Foley records in our database

From public death, burial and census records across 12 Midwestern states. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how). Tap a state or a decade to narrow the list of ancestors below.

Where

fewer more

When they were born

Most records: Illinois (985 of 5,591)
Most common birth decade: the 1910s
Earliest birth in the database: William Foley, born 1814, Ohio

Most common first names

John296 Mary228 William207 James188 Thomas123 Robert103 Charles93 Joseph85 Margaret77 Helen71 Edward67 Michael63

Documented families

Foley families we have traced

Written from county histories and public records, every fact cited. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

Family records from county histories (3)

Bridget FoleyJasper County, IowaStarts: Bridget Foley, from IrelandMost recent: Daniel Haley Catherine Foley b. 1845Jones County, IowaStarts: John Foley, from County Tipperary, IrelandMost recent: Philip B. Daly, William E. Daly James Bradford Foley 1807 to 1886Decatur County, IndianaStarts: James Bradford Foley (b. 1807), from KentuckyMost recent: Mary Mansfield, Mary Zoller, Elizabeth Payne

The earliest Foleys in the county histories

Samuel M. FoleyBorn 1830Child of John Foley and Matilda FoleyPortage County, Ohio Michael FoleyBorn 1843Pottawatomie County, Kansas Thomas J. FoleyBorn 1856Child of Patrick FoleyClinton County, Iowa Fred C. FoleyBorn 1868Child of Thomas FoleyBuena Vista County, Iowa John M. FoleyBorn 1875, Hardin countyChild of Rev. W. H. FoleyChariton County, Missouri

Family trees from the public record

314 Foley families: parents, brothers and sistersFrom state birth and death indexes, county histories and old newspapers, most recent deaths first

In old newspapers

25 Foley death notices, 1837 to 1925Obituaries and funeral notices from Midwest papers scanned by the Library of Congress, with the original pages

In the county history family index

14 Foley people in 13 countiesBirth years, birthplaces, parents and spouses, from the old county histories

Biographies from the county histories (1)

James FoleyBorn 1838 · Clark County, Ohio

Done-for-you research

Trace your documented Foley family

Found your Foley? We trace your family back as far as the records go and write it up as a family history book, every source cited. No DNA test and no sales call: we take a free first look, then email you a plan and a flat price before you spend a dollar.

Common questions

Foley genealogy: FAQ

Where were Foley ancestors recorded?

Our database holds 5,591 Foley records from all 12 Midwestern states. The most are in Illinois (985), then Missouri (964) and Ohio (907).

How far back does the Foley family tree go?

The earliest Foley birth in our database is 1814: William Foley, Ohio. We have pieced together 314 Foley family trees from public birth and death records.

Are living Foley family members listed here?

Not knowingly. We follow set rules to leave living people out of our public pages. If you find a living relative listed here, email us and we will take the record down.

Is this my Foley family?

Maybe. Many people share a name, so treat any match as a possible match until the dates and places line up with what you know about your family. Every person here links to their own page with the details, and we can trace your line for you.