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Warley Family History

Warley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from one or more places so named such as Great and Little Warley (Essex), Warley Salop and Warley Wigorn (Worcestershire), Warley (Yorkshire), Warleigh in Bathford (Somerset), and Warleigh House in Tamerton Foliot (Devon). The Essex and Somerset placenames derive from Old English wer wær ‘weir’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

The Worcestershire placename may derive from a lost stream-name (of uncertain origin) or Old English weorf ‘cattle’ + lēah. The Yorkshire placename probably derives from the Old English personal name Wērlāf + Old English lēah.

The Devon placename probably derives from Old English weard ‘watch’ + lēah. There may have been some confusion with Worley and Whaley.

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


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Where is the Warley family from?

You can see how Warley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Warley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Warley families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 141 Warley families living in Yorkshire. This was about 28% of all the recorded Warley's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Warley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Warley 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 Warley 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 Warley. 56% of Warley men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Warley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Warley were Lorry Driver and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Warley | 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
    56%
  • Horseman
    23%
  • Lorry Driver
    23%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Domestic Servant
    7%
  • Home Duties Unpaid
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%

What Warley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 18,000 census records available for the last name Warley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Warley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Warley

Passenger Lists

There are 894 immigration records available for the last name Warley. 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 Warley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Warley. For the veterans among your Warley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Warley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Warley family history

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What is the average Warley lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Warley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1966. The average life expectancy for Warley in 1943 was 34, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Warley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Warley 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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