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Halley Family History

Halley Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: either an aspirated variant of Alley or a variant of Hawley. Scottish: habitational name from Halley in Deerness (Orkney). Irish (Waterford and Tipperary): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hAilche ‘descendant of Ailche’ possibly from the byname Ailchú meaning ‘gentle hound’.

In some cases in Ireland, Halley has been adopted for Ó Maolchathail (see Mulhall). Irish (Clare): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hÁille ‘descendant of Áille’ apparently from áille ‘beauty’ but possibly a variant of Ó hÁinle (see Hanley).

French (mainly Normandy): variant of Halle Altered form of French Canadian Hallé (see Halle).

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


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Where is the Halley family from?

You can see how Halley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Halley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Halley families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 167 Halley families living in London. This was about 31% of all the recorded Halley's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Halley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Halley 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 Halley 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 Halley. 22% of Halley men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Halley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Halley were Medical Practitioner and Shorthand Typist.

View Census Data for Halley | 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
    22%
  • Milk Roundsman
    14%
  • Bricklayer
    14%
  • Medical Practitioner
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Shorthand Typist
    3%

What Halley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 62,000 census records available for the last name Halley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Halley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Halley

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Halley. 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 Halley immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Halley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Halley family history

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What is the average Halley lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Halley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Halley in 1941 was 42, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Halley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Halley 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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