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Whaley Family History

Whaley Surname Meaning

English (northern): habitational name from Whalley (Lancashire) or Whaley in Bolsover (Derbyshire). The Lancashire placename may derive from Old English hwæl ‘hill’ + lēah ‘wood woodland clearing’.

The Derbyshire placename may derive from Old English wall ‘wall’ walh ‘Welshman foreigner’ (genitive plural wala) or wælla ‘well spring stream’ + lēah.

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


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Where is the Whaley family from?

You can see how Whaley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whaley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whaley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 387 Whaley families living in Yorkshire. This was about 35% of all the recorded Whaley's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Whaley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whaley 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 Whaley 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 Whaley. 11% of Whaley men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Whaley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whaley were Farm Labourer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Whaley | 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%
  • Colliery Hewer
    7%
  • Carpenter joiner
    6%
  • Farm Labourer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Whaley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 112,000 census records available for the last name Whaley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whaley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Whaley

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Whaley. 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 Whaley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 21,000 military records available for the last name Whaley. For the veterans among your Whaley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Whaley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Whaley family history

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What is the average Whaley lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Whaley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Whaley in 1941 was 38, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Whaley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Whaley 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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