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Nissley Family History

Nissley Surname Meaning

Americanized form of Swiss German Nüssli: topographic name for someone who lived near a place where nut trees grew from Middle High German nuz ‘nut’ + the diminutive suffix -le -lein. Compare Nisley Nisly Nissly and also Nicely.

Americanized form of South German and Swiss German Nüssle (see Nuessle) a cognate of 1 above or South German Nissle (see Nuessle).

Possibly also an Americanized form of North German Nissler or Nüssler: nickname for a slow worker from Low German nusse ‘slow weak person’.

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


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Where is the Nissley family from?

You can see how Nissley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Nissley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Nissley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 9 Nissley families living in Lincolnshire. This was about 69% of all the recorded Nissley's in United Kingdom. Lincolnshire had the highest population of Nissley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Nissley 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 Nissley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Nissley. 27% of Nissley men worked as a Farmer and 15% of Nissley women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Nissley were Farming and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Nissley | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    27%
  • Laborer
    22%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Farming
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    15%
  • Operator
    15%
  • Teacher
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    11%

What Nissley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Nissley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Nissley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Nissley

Passenger Lists

There are 219 immigration records available for the last name Nissley. 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 Nissley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 783 military records available for the last name Nissley. For the veterans among your Nissley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Nissley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Nissley family history

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What is the average Nissley lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Nissley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Nissley in 1940 was 35, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Nissley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Nissley 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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