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Wortley Family History

Wortley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Wortley in Tankersley (Yorkshire) or Lower, Upper, or New Wortley in Armley (Yorkshire) or (least likely) Wortley in Wotton under Edge (Gloucestershire). The place in Tankersley derives from Old English wyrt ‘plant, vegetable’ + lēah ‘wood, woodland clearing’.

The place in Armley derives from an Old English personal name Wyrca or Weorca + Old English lēah.

The Gloucestershire placename derives from Old English wyrt + lēah.

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


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Where is the Wortley family from?

You can see how Wortley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wortley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wortley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 273 Wortley families living in Yorkshire. This was about 27% of all the recorded Wortley's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Wortley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wortley 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 Wortley 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 Wortley. 14% of Wortley men worked as a General Labourer and 82% of Wortley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wortley were Agricultural Labourer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Wortley | 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
    14%
  • Bricklayer
    10%
  • Farmer
    6%
  • Agricultural Labourer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Wortley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 22,000 census records available for the last name Wortley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wortley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Wortley

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Wortley. 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 Wortley immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Wortley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wortley family history

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What is the average Wortley lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Wortley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 1977. The average life expectancy for Wortley in 1958 was 62, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wortley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wortley 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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