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Yardley Family History

Yardley Surname Meaning

English (West Midlands): habitational name from any of various places for example Yardley in the Worcestershire, Essex, Northamptonshire, etc. or Yarley in Somerset.

The placenames mean ‘woodland from which spars are taken’ from Old English gerd gyrd ‘rod, spar’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

The compound apparently referred to a forest where timber could be gathered.

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


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Where is the Yardley family from?

You can see how Yardley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Yardley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Yardley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 390 Yardley families living in Warwickshire. This was about 22% of all the recorded Yardley's in United Kingdom. Warwickshire had the highest population of Yardley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Yardley 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 Yardley 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 Yardley. 10% of Yardley men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Yardley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Yardley were Retired and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Yardley | 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
    10%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    5%
  • Retired
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Yardley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 40,000 census records available for the last name Yardley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Yardley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Yardley

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Yardley. 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 Yardley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Yardley. For the veterans among your Yardley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Yardley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Yardley family history

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What is the average Yardley lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Yardley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Yardley in 1948 was 25, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Yardley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Yardley 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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