History of your Surname
Get access to Rapley family records.Start a free trial

Rapley Family History

Rapley Name Meaning

English: from Ropley (Hampshire) from an Old English personal name Hroppa + Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’. Variant of Rappleye a surname of Walloon and northern French origin (see Rapalje ).

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


Similar surnames: Ratley, Rupley, Radley, Capley, Railey, Hanley, Rampey, Paley, Pasley

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 Rapley family from?

You can see how Rapley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rapley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rapley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 289 Rapley families living in Surrey. This was about 27% of all the recorded Rapley's in United Kingdom. Surrey had the highest population of Rapley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rapley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Rapley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Gardener and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Rapley. 17% of Rapley men worked as a Gardener and 71% of Rapley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rapley were Bricklayer and Domestic Servant. .

View Census Data for Rapley | 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 1939

  • Gardener
    17%
  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Game Keeper
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    6%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Rapley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 34,000 census records available for the last name Rapley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rapley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Rapley

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Rapley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Rapley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Rapley. For the veterans among your Rapley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rapley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rapley family history

Discover More

What is the average Rapley lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Rapley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1974, and highest in 1983. The average life expectancy for Rapley in 1952 was 60, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rapley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Rapley family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Rapley last name

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