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Smesley Family History

Smesley 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: Smedley, Smelley, Medley, Mosley, Seeley, Sisley, Wesley, Chesley

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Smesley family from?

You can see how Smesley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Smesley family name was found in the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1911. The most Smesley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891, Canada in 1911, and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there was 1 Smesley family living in Worcestershire. This was 100% of all the recorded Smesley's in United Kingdom. Worcestershire had the highest population of Smesley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Smesley 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 Smesley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Owner was the top reported job for people in the USA named Smesley. 100% of Smesley men worked as an Owner.

View Census Data for Smesley | 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

  • Owner
    100%

What Smesley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 27 census records available for the last name Smesley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Smesley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Smesley

Passenger Lists

There are 642 immigration records available for the last name Smesley. 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 Smesley immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Smesley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Smesley family history

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What is the average Smesley lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Smesley 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.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Smesley

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