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Dorley Family History

Dorley Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Dorney, Morley, Durley, Worley, Corley, Dorsey, Darley, Dooley, Dorey

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Dorley family from?

You can see how Dorley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dorley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dorley families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 53 Dorley families living in Lancashire. This was about 27% of all the recorded Dorley's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Dorley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dorley 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 Dorley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Dorley. 100% of Dorley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Dorley | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Dorley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 7,000 census records available for the last name Dorley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dorley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dorley

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Dorley. 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 Dorley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 488 military records available for the last name Dorley. For the veterans among your Dorley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dorley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dorley family history

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What is the average Dorley lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Dorley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 1978. The average life expectancy for Dorley in 1963 was 71, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dorley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dorley 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Dorley family tree

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