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Malley Family History

Malley Surname Meaning

Irish: variant of O'Malley. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from any of several places in northern France called Mailly (Marne, Somme, and elsewhere).

Americanized form of Rusyn (from Slovakia) Mlej (see Malay). Americanized form of Polish Mały, Czech and Slovak Malý (see Maly), or Slovenian Mali 1 ‘small, little’.

Alternatively, it can be of related Slovenian and Slovak Malej (see Maley).

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


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Where is the Malley family from?

You can see how Malley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Malley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Malley families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 540 Malley families living in Lancashire. This was about 55% of all the recorded Malley's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Malley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Malley 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 Malley 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 Malley. 39% of Malley men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Malley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Malley were Builders Labourer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Malley | 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
    39%
  • Postman
    9%
  • Farm Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Cotton Weaver
    6%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%

What Malley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 60,000 census records available for the last name Malley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Malley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Malley

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Malley. 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 Malley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Malley. For the veterans among your Malley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Malley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Malley family history

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What is the average Malley lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Malley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Malley in 1944 was 30, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Malley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Malley 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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