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Windley Family History

Windley Name Meaning

English: habitational name from Windley a place in Derbyshire named from Old English winn ‘pasture meadow’ + lēah ‘wood woodland clearing’.

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


Similar surnames: Lindley, Winkley, Hindley, Windle, Willey, Ridley, Finkley, Woodley

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Windley family from?

You can see how Windley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Windley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Windley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 61 Windley families living in Lincolnshire. This was about 17% of all the recorded Windley's in United Kingdom. Lincolnshire had the highest population of Windley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Windley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Windley 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 Windley. 13% of Windley men worked as a General Labourer and 81% of Windley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Windley were Bricklayer Labourer and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Windley | 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
    13%
  • Window Cleaner
    10%
  • Farm Labourer
    10%
  • Bricklayer Labourer
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    81%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Du
    3%
  • Housekeeper
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Windley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Windley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Windley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Windley

Passenger Lists

There are 547 immigration records available for the last name Windley. 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 Windley immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Windley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Windley family history

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What is the average Windley lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Windley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1987. The average life expectancy for Windley in 1952 was 42, and 59 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Windley

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