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Whaley Family History

Whaley Name Meaning

English (northern): habitational name from Whalley (Lancashire) or Whaley in Bolsover (Derbyshire). The Lancashire placename may derive from Old English hwæl ‘hill’ + lēah ‘wood woodland clearing’. The Derbyshire placename may derive from Old English wall ‘wall’ walh ‘Welshman foreigner’ (genitive plural wala) or wælla ‘well spring stream’ + lēah.

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


Similar surnames: Whatley, Haley, Willey, Wheeley, Hanley, Harley, Whale, Hatley, Paley

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 Whaley family from?

You can see how Whaley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Whaley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Whaley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 68 Whaley families living in New York. This was about 26% of all the recorded Whaley's in USA. New York had the highest population of Whaley families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Whaley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Whaley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Whaley. 21% of Whaley men worked as a Farmer and 7% of Whaley women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Whaley were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Whaley | 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 1940

  • Farmer
    21%
  • Laborer
    19%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Whaley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 112,000 census records available for the last name Whaley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Whaley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Whaley

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Whaley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Whaley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 21,000 military records available for the last name Whaley. For the veterans among your Whaley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Whaley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Whaley family history

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What is the average Whaley lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Whaley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Whaley in 1941 was 38, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Whaley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Whaley family tree

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