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Coley Family History

Coley Surname Meaning

English (Midlands): nickname for a swarthy person from Middle English coly ‘coaly coal-black’. The original short vowel is retained in the 16th century colly ‘dirtied with coal and soot’.

Alternatively a variant of Cowley. Probably an Americanized form of Swiss German Kohli or Kohler.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Coley family from?

You can see how Coley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Coley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Coley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 376 Coley families living in Worcestershire. This was about 18% of all the recorded Coley's in United Kingdom. Worcestershire had the highest population of Coley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Coley 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 Coley 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 Coley. 12% of Coley men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Coley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Coley were Iron Foundry Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Dut.

View Census Data for Coley | 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
    12%
  • Builders Labourer
    9%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • Iron Foundry Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    2%

What Coley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 68,000 census records available for the last name Coley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Coley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Coley

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 13,000 military records available for the last name Coley. For the veterans among your Coley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Coley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Coley family history

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What is the average Coley lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Coley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Coley in 1944 was 50, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Coley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Coley 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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