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Woolley Family History

Woolley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of various places called with Old English wulf ‘wolf’ + lēah ‘wood clearing’ such as Woolley (Huntingdonshire, Yorkshire), Woolley in Bovey Tracy (Devon), and Woolley in Bradford on Avon (Wiltshire).

Irish (Cavan): in Ireland, according to Woulfe, when this is not the English name, it has been adopted for Woulfe.

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


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Where is the Woolley family from?

You can see how Woolley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Woolley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Woolley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,090 Woolley families living in Staffordshire. This was about 16% of all the recorded Woolley's in United Kingdom. Staffordshire had the highest population of Woolley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Woolley 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 Woolley 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 Woolley. 7% of Woolley men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Woolley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Woolley were Builders Labourer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Woolley | 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
    7%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Dairy Farmer
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Woolley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 153,000 census records available for the last name Woolley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Woolley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Woolley

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Woolley. 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 Woolley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Woolley. For the veterans among your Woolley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Woolley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Woolley family history

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What is the average Woolley lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Woolley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Woolley in 1943 was 55, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Woolley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Woolley 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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