Cowley Family History

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Cowley Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of the various places called Cowley. One in Gloucestershire is named with Old English cu ‘cow’ + leah ‘woodland clearing’; two in Derbyshire have Old English col ‘(char)coal’ as the first element; and one near London has it from Old English cofa ‘shelter’, ‘bay’ (see Cove) or the personal name Cofa. The largest group, however, with examples in Buckinghamshire, Devon, Oxfordshire, and Staffordshire, were apparently named as ‘the wood or clearing of Cufa’; however, in view of the number of places named with this element, it is possible that it conceals a topographical term as well as a personal name. Irish: reduced form of Macaulay (see McCauley).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Howley, Coley, Bowley, Copley, Rowley, Corley, Comley, Onley, Godley

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Cowley Family Origin

Where is the Cowley family from?

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You can see how Cowley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cowley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cowley families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1891 there were 874 Cowley families living in Lancashire. This was about 15% of all the recorded Cowley's in the UK. Lancashire had the highest population of Cowley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cowley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Cowley

Cowley Family Occupations

What did your Cowley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the UK named Cowley. 2% of Cowley men worked as a General Labourer and 53% of Cowley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cowley were Colliery Hewer and Domestic Servant

View Census data for Cowley | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1939

  • General Labourer
    2%
  • Builders Labourer
    1%
  • Carpenter
    1%
  • Colliery Hewer
    1%

Top Female Occupations in 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    53%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Cowley Historical Records

What Cowley family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 131,000 census records available for the last name Cowley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cowley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1891 UK census records for Cowley

Passenger List

There are 15,000 immigration records available for the last name Cowley. 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 Cowley immigration records

Draft Card

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Cowley. For the veterans among your Cowley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cowley military records

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Cowley Life Expectancy

What is the average Cowley lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Cowley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Cowley in 1944 was 38, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cowley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cowley 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.

Famous Cowley Family Ancestors

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