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Henley Family History

Henley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of several places called Henley, for example in Surrey, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, Shropshire, and Suffolk. Most of the placenames derive from Old English hēan, the weak dative form of hēah ‘high’ (originally used after a preposition and an article) + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. However, some, including the one in Shropshire, come from Old English henn ‘hen, wild bird’ + lēah.

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hIonnghaile, from a variant (without initial F-) of the personal name Fionnghal, which gave rise to Ó Fionnghaile (see Fennell).

Possibly an Americanized form of German Henle.

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


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Where is the Henley family from?

You can see how Henley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Henley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Henley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 687 Henley families living in London. This was about 26% of all the recorded Henley's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Henley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Henley 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 Henley 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 Henley. 11% of Henley men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Henley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Henley were Gardener and Housewife.

View Census Data for Henley | 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
    7%
  • Bricklayer
    6%
  • Gardener
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Henley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 134,000 census records available for the last name Henley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Henley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Henley

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Henley. 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 Henley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 23,000 military records available for the last name Henley. For the veterans among your Henley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Henley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Henley family history

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What is the average Henley lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Henley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Henley in 1944 was 30, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Henley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Henley 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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