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Morley Family History

Morley Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of various places called Morley (for example in Derbyshire County Durham Norfolk and Yorkshire) or Moreleigh in Devon all of which are named from Old English mōr ‘moor’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. Irish (Mayo): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Murghaile ‘descendant of Murghal’ a personal name based on muir ‘sea’ + gal ‘valour’. Irish (Mayo): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Murthuile ‘descendant of Murthuile’ a personal name derived from muir ‘sea’ + tuile ‘tide’.

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


Similar surnames: Marley, Worley, Mosley, Corley, Murley, Manley, Coley, Godley, Moxley

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Morley family from?

You can see how Morley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Morley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Morley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 2,023 Morley families living in Yorkshire. This was about 17% of all the recorded Morley's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Morley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Morley 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 Morley 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 Morley. 10% of Morley men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Morley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Morley were Builders Labourer and Incapacitated. .

View Census Data for Morley | 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%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Morley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 303,000 census records available for the last name Morley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Morley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Morley

Passenger Lists

There are 29,000 immigration records available for the last name Morley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Morley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 24,000 military records available for the last name Morley. For the veterans among your Morley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Morley military records

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What is the average Morley lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Morley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Morley in 1942 was 40, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Morley

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