History of your Surname
Get access to Wortley family records.Start a free trial

Wortley Family History

Wortley Name Meaning

English: habitational name from Wortley in Tankersley (Yorkshire) or Lower Upper or New Wortley in Armley (Yorkshire) or (least likely) Wortley in Wotton under Edge (Gloucestershire). The place in Tankersley derives from Old English wyrt ‘plant vegetable’ + lēah ‘wood woodland clearing’. The place in Armley derives from an Old English personal name Wyrca or Weorca + Old English lēah. The Gloucestershire placename derives from Old English wyrt + lēah.

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


Similar surnames: Worsley, Worley, Hartley, Wormley, Woolley, Ottley, Morley, Horsley

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Wortley family from?

You can see how Wortley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wortley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wortley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 2 Wortley families living in Michigan. This was about 25% of all the recorded Wortley's in USA. Michigan and 2 other states had the highest population of Wortley families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wortley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Wortley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Cook were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wortley. 34% of Wortley men worked as a Laborer and 24% of Wortley women worked as a Cook. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wortley were Carpenter and Housework. .

View Census Data for Wortley | 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
    34%
  • Farmer
    26%
  • Salesman
    14%
  • Carpenter
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Cook
    24%
  • Maid
    24%
  • Housewife
    18%
  • Housework
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Wortley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 22,000 census records available for the last name Wortley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wortley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Wortley

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Wortley. 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 Wortley immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Wortley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wortley family history

Discover More

What is the average Wortley lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Wortley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 1977. The average life expectancy for Wortley in 1958 was 62, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wortley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Wortley family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Wortley last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial