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Hanley Family History

Hanley Name Meaning

Irish: shortened form of O’Hanley, an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hÁinle ‘descendant of Áinle’, a personal name meaning ‘champion’. This is the name of a ruling family in Connacht; it is now common in southern Ireland. English: habitational name from any of various places, such as Handley in Cheshire, Derbyshire. Northamptonshire, and Dorset and Hanley in Staffordshire and Worcestershire, all from Old English hean, the weak dative case (originally used after a preposition and article) of heah ‘high’ + leah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’, or from Handley Farm in Clayhanger, Devon, which is named from Old English han ‘(boundary) stone’ + leah.

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


Similar surnames: Manley, Henley, Halley, Harley, Hadley, Hawley, Hansley, Hatley

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 Hanley family from?

You can see how Hanley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hanley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hanley families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 21 Hanley families living in New York. This was about 18% of all the recorded Hanley's in the USA. New York and 1 other state had the highest population of Hanley families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hanley 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 Hanley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the US named Hanley. 13% of Hanley men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Hanley women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hanley were Clerk and Housewife.

View Census data for Hanley | 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
    13%
  • Farmer
    10%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations in 1940

  • Teacher
    8%
  • Stenographer
    8%
  • Clerk
    7%
  • Housewife
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Hanley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 171,000 census records available for the last name Hanley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hanley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Hanley

Passenger Lists

There are 29,000 immigration records available for the last name Hanley. 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 Hanley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 27,000 military records available for the last name Hanley. For the veterans among your Hanley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hanley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Hanley family history.

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What is the average Hanley lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Hanley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Hanley in 1942 was 41, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hanley

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