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Dales Family History

Dales Surname Meaning

English (Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire): variant of Dale with post-medieval excrescent -s.

Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): nickname for a needy person from Hebrew dalus ‘poverty’.

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


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Where is the Dales family from?

You can see how Dales families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dales family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dales families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 378 Dales families living in Yorkshire. This was about 38% of all the recorded Dales's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Dales families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dales 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 Dales ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farm Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Dales. 14% of Dales men worked as a Farm Labourer and 74% of Dales women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dales were General Labourer and Household Duties.

View Census Data for Dales | 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

  • Farm Labourer
    14%
  • Farmer
    6%
  • Retired
    6%
  • General Labourer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Household Duties
    3%

What Dales family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Dales. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dales census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dales

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Dales. 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 Dales immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Dales. For the veterans among your Dales ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dales military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dales family history

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What is the average Dales lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Dales life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1962, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Dales in 1961 was 68, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dales

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dales 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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