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Purley Family History

Purley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Purleigh (Essex), Purley (Berkshire), or Purley in Sanderstead (Surrey). The Essex and Berkshire placenames derive from Old English pur ‘bittern’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

The Surrey placename is from Old English pyrige ‘pear tree’ + lēah.

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


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Where is the Purley family from?

You can see how Purley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Purley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Purley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 4 Purley families living in Essex. This was about 50% of all the recorded Purley's in United Kingdom. Essex had the highest population of Purley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Purley 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 Purley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Purley. 100% of Purley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Purley | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Purley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Purley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Purley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Purley

Passenger Lists

There are 172 immigration records available for the last name Purley. 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 Purley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 186 military records available for the last name Purley. For the veterans among your Purley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Purley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Purley family history

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What is the average Purley lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Purley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2004, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Purley in 1960 was 43, and 4 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Purley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Purley 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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