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Dale Family History

Dale Name Meaning

English: from Middle English dale ‘dale’, ‘valley’ (Old English dæl, reinforced in northern England by the cognate Old Norse dalr), a topographic name for someone who lived in a valley, or a habitational name from any of the numerous minor places named with this word, such as Dale in Cumbria and Yorkshire. Irish: possibly in some cases of English origin, but otherwise an Anglicized form of Gaelic Dall, a byname meaning ‘blind’. Norwegian: habitational name from a farm named from Old Norse dali, the dative case of dalr ‘valley’. It is a common name in Norway, especially western Norway, and is also found in Sweden. Americanized spelling of German Dahl.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Hale, Gale, Sale, Vale, Dole, Wale, Dane, Dal, Dahle, Kale

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 Dale family from?

You can see how Dale families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dale family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dale families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 42 Dale families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 13% of all the recorded Dale's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Dale families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dale surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Dale ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Dale. 16% of Dale men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Dale women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dale were Truck Driver and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Dale | 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
    16%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

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

What Dale family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 403,000 census records available for the last name Dale. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dale census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Dale

Passenger Lists

There are 38,000 immigration records available for the last name Dale. 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 Dale immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 48,000 military records available for the last name Dale. For the veterans among your Dale ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Dale family history

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What is the average Dale lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Dale life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Dale in 1943 was 40, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dale

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