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Kinsley Family History

Kinsley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Kinsley in Yorkshire. The placename derives from the Old English personal name Cyne (genitive Cynes) + Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

Probably also an altered form of various like-sounding German names such as Kinzler Kinseli Kienzle Künzli or Künzle (see Kuenzli).

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


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Where is the Kinsley family from?

You can see how Kinsley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kinsley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kinsley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 60 Kinsley families living in Lancashire. This was about 20% of all the recorded Kinsley's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Kinsley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kinsley 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 Kinsley 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 Kinsley. 35% of Kinsley men worked as a General Labourer and 76% of Kinsley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kinsley were Civil Servant Supreme Court and Retired.

View Census Data for Kinsley | 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
    35%
  • Farm Labourer
    20%
  • Builders Labourer
    8%
  • Civil Servant Supreme Court
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Retired
    3%

What Kinsley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 30,000 census records available for the last name Kinsley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kinsley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kinsley

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Kinsley. For the veterans among your Kinsley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kinsley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kinsley family history

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What is the average Kinsley lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Kinsley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Kinsley in 1949 was 71, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kinsley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kinsley 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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