Paley Family History

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Paley Name Meaning

English (Yorkshire): possibly a nickname for someone with pale or lustreless eyes, from Middle English pale ‘pale’ + eye ‘eye’. English: from an Old Scandinavian personal name, Old Danish Palli or Old Swedish Palle, probably originally an ethnic name meaning ‘Pole’. French: habitational name from a place in Seine-et-Marne, probably originally derived from Latin palus ‘post’, ‘stake’ + suffix -etum. Jewish (from Belarus), Belorussian, and Ukrainian: occupational name for a distiller, from an eastern Slavic word meaning ‘to burn’ (Russian palit, Ukrainian palyty) + the Slavic noun suffix -ej.

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


Similar surnames: Caley, Padley, Pawley, Palen, Pyle, Paler, Pacey, Sales, Pasley

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Paley Family Origin

Where is the Paley family from?

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You can see how Paley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Paley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Paley families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1891 there were 370 Paley families living in Yorkshire. This was about 44% of all the recorded Paley's in the UK. Yorkshire had the highest population of Paley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Paley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Paley

Paley Family Occupations

What did your Paley 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 Paley. 18% of Paley men worked as a General Labourer and 80% of Paley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Paley were Cotton Weaver and Unpaid Household Duties

View Census data for Paley | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1939

  • General Labourer
    18%
  • Colliery Hewer
    8%
  • Dairy Farmer
    8%
  • Cotton Weaver
    8%

Top Female Occupations in 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    80%
  • Private Means
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    2%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    2%

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

Paley Historical Records

What Paley family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 26,000 census records available for the last name Paley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Paley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Paley

Passenger List

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Paley. 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 Paley immigration records

Draft Card

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Paley. For the veterans among your Paley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Paley military records

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Paley Life Expectancy

What is the average Paley lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Paley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Paley in 1953 was 43, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Paley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Paley 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 Paley Family Ancestors

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