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Murley Family History

Murley Surname Meaning

Irish (Cork and Kerry): variant of Morley. English (Cornwall and Somerset): habitational name from Murley in Uplowman (Devon).

The placename derives from Old English mōr ‘moor’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

There may well have been some confusion with Morley.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Murley family from?

You can see how Murley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Murley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Murley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 128 Murley families living in Cornwall. This was about 23% of all the recorded Murley's in United Kingdom. Cornwall had the highest population of Murley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Murley 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 Murley 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 Murley. 25% of Murley men worked as a General Labourer and 82% of Murley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Murley were Bricklayer and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Murley | 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
    25%
  • Bank Clerk
    15%
  • Milk Salesman
    10%
  • Bricklayer
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    2%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Murley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Murley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Murley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Murley

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Murley. 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 Murley immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Murley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Murley family history

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What is the average Murley lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Murley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Murley in 1956 was 79, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Murley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Murley 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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