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Purselley Family History

Purselley Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Pursell, Pursley, Parsley, Pulley, Purcell, Bursell, Bursley, Selley

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Purselley family from?

You can see how Purselley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Purselley family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Purselley families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 4 Purselley families living in Derbyshire. This was 100% of all the recorded Purselley's in United Kingdom. Derbyshire had the highest population of Purselley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Purselley 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 Purselley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Purselley. 67% of Purselley men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Purselley women worked as a Teacher.

View Census Data for Purselley | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    67%
  • Machinest Helper
    17%
  • Laborer
    17%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    100%

What Purselley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 473 census records available for the last name Purselley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Purselley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Purselley

Passenger Lists

There are 15 immigration records available for the last name Purselley. 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 Purselley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 152 military records available for the last name Purselley. For the veterans among your Purselley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Purselley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Purselley family history

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What is the average Purselley lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Purselley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1968, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Purselley in 1963 was 73, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Purselley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Purselley 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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