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Smedley Family History

Smedley Name Meaning

English (Derbyshire Nottinghamshire Yorkshire and Lancashire): habitational name mostly from Smithley in Wombwell (Yorkshire) but also from Smedley (Lancashire). The placenames probably mean ‘wood or woodland clearing of the smiths’ from Old English smitha genitive plural form of smith ‘smith’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

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


Similar surnames: Medley, Smalley, Studley, Shelley, Shepley, Smitley, Hedley, Pedley

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Smedley family from?

You can see how Smedley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Smedley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Smedley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 708 Smedley families living in Derbyshire. This was about 28% of all the recorded Smedley's in United Kingdom. Derbyshire had the highest population of Smedley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Smedley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Smedley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Smedley. 10% of Smedley men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Smedley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Smedley were Builders Labourer and Incapacitated. .

View Census Data for Smedley | 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

  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Colliery Hewer
    6%
  • Dairy Farmer
    5%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Smedley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 60,000 census records available for the last name Smedley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Smedley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Smedley

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Smedley. 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 Smedley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Smedley. For the veterans among your Smedley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Smedley military records

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What is the average Smedley lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Smedley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Smedley in 1947 was 34, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Smedley

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