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Tolley Family History

Tolley Surname Meaning

English (mainly West Midlands): from the Middle English personal name Toli (Old Norse Tóli a particularly East Scandinavian pet form of names in Thórr ‘the god Thor’ + an element beginning with l-).

Americanized form of German Tolle.

In some cases also an American shortened and altered form of Russian Telyatev: nickname or metonymic occupational name derived from telyata ‘calves’.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Tolley family from?

You can see how Tolley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tolley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Tolley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 353 Tolley families living in Worcestershire. This was about 21% of all the recorded Tolley's in United Kingdom. Worcestershire had the highest population of Tolley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tolley 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 Tolley 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 Tolley. 13% of Tolley men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Tolley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tolley were Bricklayer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Tolley | 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
    13%
  • Incapacitated
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Tolley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 46,000 census records available for the last name Tolley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tolley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Tolley

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Tolley. 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 Tolley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Tolley. For the veterans among your Tolley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tolley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tolley family history

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What is the average Tolley lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Tolley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Tolley in 1949 was 32, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tolley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tolley 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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