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Forley Family History

Forley Name Meaning

from Fordley in Middleton (Suffolk) which is recorded as Forlea in 1086 Fordle in 1254 and Fordelee in 1286. The place-name derives from Old English ford ‘ford river crossing’ + lēah ‘open woodland’. the north-western cluster is unexplained. It may be the result of migration or alternatively a variant of Farley . see Furley .

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


Similar surnames: Folley, Morley, Farley, Worley, Foley, Corley, Forney, Forsey, Forrey

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Forley family from?

You can see how Forley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Forley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Forley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 3 Forley families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 23% of all the recorded Forley's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Forley families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Forley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Forley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Forley. 25% of Forley men worked as a Laborer and 10% of Forley women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Forley were Miner and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Forley | 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

  • Laborer
    25%
  • Farmer
    21%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Miner
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Seamstress
    10%
  • Stenographer
    10%
  • Teacher
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Forley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Forley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Forley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Forley

Passenger Lists

There are 514 immigration records available for the last name Forley. 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 Forley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 301 military records available for the last name Forley. For the veterans among your Forley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Forley military records

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What is the average Forley lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Forley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1987, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Forley in 1963 was 77, and 92 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Forley

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