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Donley Family History

Donley Surname Meaning

Irish: shortened form of Donnelly.

English: habitational name from Dunley in Areley Kings Worcestershire named from the Old English personal name Dunna + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

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


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Where is the Donley family from?

You can see how Donley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Donley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Donley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 64 Donley families living in Yorkshire. This was about 24% of all the recorded Donley's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Donley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Donley 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 Donley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Miner Stoneman Below and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Donley. 100% of Donley men worked as a Miner Stoneman Below and 100% of Donley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Donley | 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

  • Miner Stoneman Below
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Donley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 42,000 census records available for the last name Donley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Donley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Donley

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Donley. 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 Donley immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Donley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Donley family history

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What is the average Donley lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Donley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Donley in 1942 was 46, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Donley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Donley 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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