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Pilley Family History

Pilley Name Meaning

English: habitational name from either of two places so named. One in southern Yorkshire is recorded as Pillei in Domesday Book and as Pillay in the late 12th century. It is probably from Old English pil ‘pile’, ‘post’ + leah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’, i.e. a wood where timber for piles could be obtained. The other, in Hampshire, appears in Domesday Book as Piste(s)lei, but has later spellings resembling those for Pilley in Yorkshire, and may have the same etymology.

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


Similar surnames: Willey, Pixley, Tilley, Pille, Wigley, Pulley, Lilly, Iley, 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 Pilley family from?

You can see how Pilley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pilley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Pilley families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1840 there were 3 Pilley families living in North Carolina. This was about 50% of all the recorded Pilley's in the USA. North Carolina had the highest population of Pilley families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pilley 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 Pilley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the US named Pilley. 30% of Pilley men worked as a Farmer and 17% of Pilley women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Pilley were Operator and Teacher.

View Census data for Pilley | 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
    30%
  • Laborer
    18%
  • Clerk
    12%
  • Operator
    9%

Top Female Occupations in 1940

  • Housewife
    17%
  • House Keeper
    17%
  • Housekeeper
    17%
  • Teacher
    17%
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What Pilley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Pilley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pilley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Pilley

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

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

View all Pilley military records

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

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What is the average Pilley lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2003, in the United States, Pilley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1965, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Pilley in 1951 was 46, and 80 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Pilley

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