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Oley Family History

Oley Surname Meaning

German (rarely Öley): metonymic occupational name for an oil miller (i.e. someone who extracted oil from poppy seeds, nuts, etc.) or oil merchant from Middle High German öl(e), olei, Middle Low German olie ‘oil’. Compare Ohler.

English (Durham): habitational name of Norman origin from any of the five places called Ouilly in Calvados, France.

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


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Where is the Oley family from?

You can see how Oley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Oley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Oley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 46 Oley families living in Durham. This was about 55% of all the recorded Oley's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Oley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Oley 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 Oley 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 Oley. 100% of Oley men worked as a General Labourer and 84% of Oley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Oley | 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
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    84%
  • Housewife
    8%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    8%

What Oley family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Oley

Passenger Lists

There are 512 immigration records available for the last name Oley. 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 Oley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 739 military records available for the last name Oley. For the veterans among your Oley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Oley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Oley family history

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What is the average Oley lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Oley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Oley in 1949 was 54, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Oley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Oley 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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