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Sunley Family History

Sunley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Sunley Hill in Kirkdale (North Yorkshire). The placename derives from the Old Norse personal name Sunnólfr + Old Norse haugr ‘hill mound’.

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


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Where is the Sunley family from?

You can see how Sunley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sunley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Sunley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 384 Sunley families living in Yorkshire. This was about 67% of all the recorded Sunley's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Sunley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sunley 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 Sunley 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 Sunley. 17% of Sunley men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Sunley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sunley were Farmer and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Sunley | 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
    17%
  • Painter decorator
    15%
  • Farm Labourer
    8%
  • Farmer
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    4%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Housekeeper
    3%

What Sunley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Sunley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sunley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Sunley

Passenger Lists

There are 907 immigration records available for the last name Sunley. 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 Sunley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 627 military records available for the last name Sunley. For the veterans among your Sunley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Sunley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Sunley family history

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What is the average Sunley lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2003, in the United States, Sunley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1968, and highest in 1983. The average life expectancy for Sunley in 1963 was 88, and 90 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sunley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Sunley 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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