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Handley Family History

Handley Surname Meaning

English and Irish: variant of Hanley.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Handley family from?

You can see how Handley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Handley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Handley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 828 Handley families living in Yorkshire. This was about 16% of all the recorded Handley's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Handley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Handley 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 Handley 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 Handley. 11% of Handley men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Handley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Handley were Dairy Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duti.

View Census Data for Handley | 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%
  • Farmer
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Dairy Farmer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    2%

What Handley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 133,000 census records available for the last name Handley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Handley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Handley

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Handley. 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 Handley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Handley. For the veterans among your Handley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Handley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Handley family history

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What is the average Handley lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Handley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Handley in 1941 was 31, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Handley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Handley 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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