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Powley Family History

Powley Surname Meaning

English (mainly Norfolk): perhaps a shortened form of Powling either a nickname for someone with a distinctive head or hair or who had a shaved head (from an unrecorded Middle English polling a derivative of Middle English polle ‘head hair of the head’ or pollen ‘to cut (hair) shave (someone's head)’ + the noun-forming suffix -ing);

or a habitational name from Poling in Sussex; or a variant of Pullan and Pullen.

Probably an altered form of German Pauli or Pauly.

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


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Where is the Powley family from?

You can see how Powley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Powley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Powley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 370 Powley families living in Norfolk. This was about 34% of all the recorded Powley's in United Kingdom. Norfolk had the highest population of Powley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Powley 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 Powley 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 Powley. 15% of Powley men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Powley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Powley were Farm Labourer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Powley | 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
    15%
  • Builders Labourer
    11%
  • Incapacitated
    6%
  • Farm Labourer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Powley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 28,000 census records available for the last name Powley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Powley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Powley

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Powley. 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 Powley immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Powley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Powley family history

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What is the average Powley lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Powley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Powley in 1946 was 52, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Powley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Powley 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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