Paley Family History

Paley Surname Meaning

English (mainly Yorkshire): from a lost or unidentified place in Lancashire or Yorkshire apparently named with Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’ as the final element. Compare Paley Green in Giggleswick (Yorkshire) where the surname is recorded in 1379 but this may have been named from the surname.

English: perhaps from a presumed Middle English male personal name Palli (Old Danish Palli from páll ‘pole’).

Jewish (from Belarus) Belorussian and Ukrainian: occupational name for a distiller derived from an East Slavic word meaning ‘to burn’ (Russian palit Ukrainian palyty).

English: sometimes a variant of Pawley.

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

Similar surnames: Caley, Padley, Pawley, Palen, Pyle, Paler, Pacey, Sales, Pasley, Haley

25K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
2K	Military Records
5K	Immigration Records
26K	Census and Voter Lists
27K	Member Trees

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Where is the Paley family from?

You can see how Paley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Paley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Paley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 370 Paley families living in Yorkshire. This was about 44% of all the recorded Paley's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Paley families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Paley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Paley

What did your Paley 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 Paley. 18% of Paley men worked as a General labourer and 80% of Paley women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Paley were Dairy farmer and Unpaid household duties.

View Census Data for Paley

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.

General labourer

18%

Colliery hewer

Cotton weaver

Dairy farmer

Unpaid domestic duties

80%

Private means

Unpaid domestic dut

Unpaid household duties

What Paley family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 26K census records available for the last name Paley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Paley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Paley

Passenger List

There are 5K immigration records available for the last name Paley. 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 Paley immigration records

Military Records

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

View all Paley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Paley family history

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What is the average Paley lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Paley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Paley in 1953 was 43, and 82 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Paley family tree

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Paley Surname Meaning

English: perhaps from a presumed Middle English male personal name Palli (Old Danish Palli from páll ‘pole’).

Jewish (from Belarus) Belorussian and Ukrainian: occupational name for a distiller derived from an East Slavic word meaning ‘to burn’ (Russian palit Ukrainian palyty).

English: sometimes a variant of Pawley.

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

Where is the Paley family from?

What did your Paley ancestors do for a living?

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.

General labourer

18%

Colliery hewer

Cotton weaver

Dairy farmer

Unpaid domestic duties

80%

Private means

Unpaid domestic dut

Unpaid household duties

What Paley family records will you find?

What is the average Paley lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Paley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Paley in 1953 was 43, and 82 in 2004.

Paley Family History

Paley Surname Meaning

86,000 record(s) for Paley

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Paley family from?

What did your Paley ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Paley family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Paley family history

What is the average Paley lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Paley family tree

Search for another surname

Paley Surname Meaning

86,000 record(s) for Paley

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Paley family from?

What did your Paley ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Paley family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Paley family history

What is the average Paley lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Paley family tree

Search for another surname