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Forley Family History

Forley Surname Meaning

From Fordley in Middleton (Suffolk) which is recorded as Forlea in 1086, Fordle in 1254, and Fordelee in 1286. The place-name derives from Old English ford ‘ford river crossing’ + lēah ‘open woodland’.

The north-western cluster is unexplained. It may be the result of migration or alternatively a variant of Farley.

See Furley.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Forley family from?

You can see how Forley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Forley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Forley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 7 Forley families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Forley's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Forley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Forley 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 Forley 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 Forley. 50% of Forley men worked as a General Labourer and 89% of Forley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Forley were Sheet Metal Worker and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Forley | 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
    50%
  • Sheet Metal Worker
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    89%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    12%

What Forley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Forley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Forley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Forley

Passenger Lists

There are 514 immigration records available for the last name Forley. 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 Forley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 301 military records available for the last name Forley. For the veterans among your Forley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Forley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Forley family history

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What is the average Forley lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Forley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1987, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Forley in 1963 was 77, and 92 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Forley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Forley 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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