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Berley Family History

Berley Name Meaning

English (Yorkshire): variant of Burley . This surname is now rare in Britain. It may also be a variant of Birley . Americanized form of Swiss German Beerli Berli or Berly and probably also of their South German cognate Behrle or of some other similar (like-sounding) surname. Compare Barley .

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


Similar surnames: Barley, Begley, Berkey, Berry, Burley, Verley, Berney, Bergey, Gurley

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 Berley family from?

You can see how Berley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Berley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Berley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 23 Berley families living in Ontario. This was about 50% of all the recorded Berley's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Berley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Berley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Berley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Berley. 24% of Berley men worked as a Laborer and 18% of Berley women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Berley were Carpenter and Secretary. .

View Census Data for Berley | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    24%
  • Farmer
    23%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    18%
  • Housekeeper
    18%
  • Clerk
    12%
  • Secretary
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Berley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Berley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Berley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Berley

Passenger Lists

There are 764 immigration records available for the last name Berley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Berley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 581 military records available for the last name Berley. For the veterans among your Berley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Berley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Berley family history

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What is the average Berley lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Berley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1974, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Berley in 1964 was 59, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Berley

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