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Oakley Family History

Oakley Surname Meaning

English (mainly West Midlands): habitational name from any of numerous places called Oakley, Oakle, or Oakleigh in Bedfordshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Somerset, Suffolk, or Wiltshire.

The placenames derive from Old English āc ‘oak’ + lēah ‘open woodland’.

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 Oakley family from?

You can see how Oakley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Oakley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Oakley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,096 Oakley families living in Staffordshire. This was about 17% of all the recorded Oakley's in United Kingdom. Staffordshire had the highest population of Oakley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Oakley 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 Oakley 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 Oakley. 8% of Oakley men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Oakley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Oakley were Incapacitated and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Oakley | 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
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Oakley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 209,000 census records available for the last name Oakley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Oakley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Oakley

Passenger Lists

There are 39,000 immigration records available for the last name Oakley. 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 Oakley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 23,000 military records available for the last name Oakley. For the veterans among your Oakley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Oakley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Oakley family history

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What is the average Oakley lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Oakley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Oakley in 1941 was 43, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Oakley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Oakley 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Oakley family tree

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