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

Dudley Family History

Dudley Name Meaning

English (West Midlands): habitational name from Dudley in Worcestershire recorded as Duddeleye Doddeleye in the 13th and 14th centuries named from the Old English personal name Dudda (see Dodd ) + Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’. Irish (southern Ireland): in Ireland when not the English name it was adopted as equivalent of Gaelic Ó Dubhdáleithe ‘descendant of Dubhdáleithe’ a personal name composed of the elements dubh ‘black’ + ‘two’ + léithe ‘sides’. Americanized form of French Daudelin .

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


Similar surnames: Durley, Audley, Murley, Medley, Gidley, Badley, Bodley, Godley

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 Dudley family from?

You can see how Dudley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dudley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dudley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 179 Dudley families living in Ontario. This was about 58% of all the recorded Dudley's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Dudley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dudley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Dudley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Dudley. 33% of Dudley men worked as a Farmer and 59% of Dudley women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dudley were Clerk and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Dudley | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    33%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    59%
  • Waitress
    18%
  • Housewife
    12%
  • Teacher
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Dudley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 280,000 census records available for the last name Dudley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dudley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Dudley

Passenger Lists

There are 20,000 immigration records available for the last name Dudley. 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 Dudley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 54,000 military records available for the last name Dudley. For the veterans among your Dudley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dudley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dudley family history

Discover More

What is the average Dudley lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Dudley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Dudley in 1943 was 22, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dudley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Dudley family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Dudley last name

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