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Exley Family History

Exley Surname Meaning

English (Yorkshire): habitational name from Exley in Southowram (Yorkshire) from British eglēs ‘Romano-British Christian church’ (from Latin ecclesia Greek ekklēsia ‘gathering assembly’) + Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

Compare Eccles. Americanized form of South German Oechsle.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Exley family from?

You can see how Exley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Exley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Exley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,167 Exley families living in Yorkshire. This was about 83% of all the recorded Exley's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Exley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Exley 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 Exley 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 Exley. 16% of Exley men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Exley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Exley were Joiner and Unpaid Domestic Dutie.

View Census Data for Exley | 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
    16%
  • Window Cleaner
    6%
  • Bricklayer
    5%
  • Joiner
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dutie
    3%

What Exley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 41,000 census records available for the last name Exley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Exley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Exley

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Exley. For the veterans among your Exley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Exley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Exley family history

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What is the average Exley lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Exley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Exley in 1955 was 69, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Exley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Exley 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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