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Dunkley Family History

Dunkley Surname Meaning

English (Northamptonshire): habitational name from Dinckley in Lancashire recorded as Dunkythele in 1246 and Dinkedeley in 1258 probably arising from an old British name composed of elements meaning ‘fort’ + ‘wood’ with the addition of Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

In the South Midlands perhaps a variant of Dingley.

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


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Where is the Dunkley family from?

You can see how Dunkley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dunkley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dunkley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 897 Dunkley families living in Northamptonshire. This was about 32% of all the recorded Dunkley's in United Kingdom. Northamptonshire had the highest population of Dunkley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dunkley 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 Dunkley 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 Dunkley. 11% of Dunkley men worked as a General Labourer and 74% of Dunkley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dunkley were Farmer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Dunkley | 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
    11%
  • Builders Labourer
    8%
  • Bricklayer
    5%
  • Farmer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Dunkley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 63,000 census records available for the last name Dunkley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dunkley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dunkley

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Dunkley. For the veterans among your Dunkley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dunkley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dunkley family history

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What is the average Dunkley lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Dunkley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1964. The average life expectancy for Dunkley in 1959 was 49, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dunkley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dunkley 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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