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Saley Family History

Saley Surname Meaning

English (Lancashire and Yorkshire): variant of Sawley probably a habitational name from Sawley (Yorkshire) near Clitheroe in Lancashire since it was in this area that the modern name chiefly ramified. However, Sawley near Ripon (Yorkshire) and Sawley (Derbyshire) also gave rise to surnames in the medieval period.

The Yorkshire placenames derive from Old English salh ‘willow sallow’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’ while the Derbyshire placename comes from Old English salh + hlāw ‘mound hill’. Compare Sall.

French (northern): variant of Salley. Americanized form of Slovenian Šalej: from a pet form of the old personal name Šalamon (see Salamon) or a nickname from šaliti se ‘to joke to jest’.

It is formed with the dialect diminutive suffix -ej.

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


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Where is the Saley family from?

You can see how Saley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Saley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Saley families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 22 Saley families living in London. This was about 26% of all the recorded Saley's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Saley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Saley 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 Saley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Saley. 84% of Saley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Saley | 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
    84%
  • Old Ape Worker
    17%

What Saley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Saley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Saley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Saley

Passenger Lists

There are 670 immigration records available for the last name Saley. 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 Saley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 527 military records available for the last name Saley. For the veterans among your Saley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Saley military records

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What is the average Saley lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Saley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1997, and highest in 1971. The average life expectancy for Saley in 1956 was 69, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Saley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Saley 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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