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Beckley Family History

Beckley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of the places so named in Oxfordshire and Sussex from the Old English byname Becca (see Beck) + Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’. English: variant of Bickley.

Americanized form of South German Bächle (see Baechle) and of its Swiss German cognate Bächli. Americanized form of South German Böckle (see Bock) and of its Swiss German cognate Böckli.

It is possibly also derived from North German Böckler, an occupational name for a buckle maker or carrier from the Middle Low German bokeler. Compare Bakley and Begley.

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


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Where is the Beckley family from?

You can see how Beckley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Beckley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Beckley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 219 Beckley families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Beckley's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Beckley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Beckley 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 Beckley 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 Beckley. 15% of Beckley men worked as a General Labourer and 74% of Beckley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Beckley were Builders Labourer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Beckley | 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
    15%
  • Motor Engineer
    8%
  • House Painter
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Domestic Duties
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Beckley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 45,000 census records available for the last name Beckley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Beckley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Beckley

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Beckley. 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 Beckley immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Beckley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Beckley family history

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What is the average Beckley lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Beckley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Beckley in 1943 was 48, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Beckley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Beckley 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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